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Re: Email address for sending condolence to the family of JCO
In reading the IAEA, "Report on the preliminary fact finding mission following
the accident at the nuclear fuel processing facility in Tokaimura, Japan," two
particularly egregious facts are mentioned which have not been discussed much,
if at all:
1. The license for the facility specified a mass limit of 2.4 kg of enriched
uranium outside of the storage area.
2. At the time the precipitation tank went critical, approximately 16 kg of
enriched uranium had been added to the tank.
It seems that, regardless of the procedures used, the mass limit, by itself,
would have prevented a criticality. My experience at a DOE facility is that
such mass limits are rigidly enforced, with severe penalties for even trivial
violations, and with a great deal of documentation required to demonstrate that
they are being adhered to. It wouldn't be prudent, at this time, to speculate
on who's responsible and whether this was willful, but I'd be interested in more
information on how such a major lapse was allowed to occur.
Where's a regulator when you need one?
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com
"J.J. Rozental" wrote:
> There are two different aspects necessary to take into consideration related
> with this subject:
>
> a) the human sentiment for the victims due this nuclear accident;
> b) the human participation, cause of this accident.
>
> On the first topic, I do believe, many of us wish to express our sentiments
> to the victim's family;
>
> On de other hand, nevertheless the licensees have the main responsibilities
> for the application of the Standards, there are no doubt that workers have
> also subsidiary responsibilities to identify any failures and shortcomings
> in the protection and safety.
>
> My purpose is not to discuss operational procedures and the consequences of
> non-compliance and failure, but only to mention the workers
> responsibilities in the Nuclear Accident at Tokaimura.
>
> Data from the press mention: Makoto Morita, an executive with JCO Co., which
> operates the plant, said that the workers manually bypassed part of the
> required procedure that would have prevented them from using too much
> uranium. -- "We have no words to express our apologies". "We cannot escape
> our responsibility".
>
> Important lesson to be learned from this accident, proves a serious lack
> of Safety Culture and Human Behavior and an unequivocal and urgent
> necessity for implementing a comprehensive understanding about the
> philosophy of Safety Culture, even in developed country and high respect to
> culture as Japan.
>
> Jose J. Rozental
> rozental@unisys.com.br
> 22 Feb 2000 I will be back to Israel
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tosh Ushino <tushino@icnpharm.com>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Sent: Monday, December 27, 1999 7:32 PM
> Subject: Email address for sending condolence to the family of JCO
>
> >
> >
> > From: Tosh Ushino@ICN on 12/27/99 01:31 PM
> >
> >
> > To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> > cc:
> > Subject: Email address for sending condolence to the family of JCO
> accident
> > victim
> >
> > Ladies and Gentlemen of RADSAFE,
> >
> > Last week, couple of people asked me where they could send condolence
> messages
> > to the family of the man who passed away last week as the result of the
> JCO
> > criticality accident in Japan I looked around the but I could not find
> email
> > address for JCO or Sumitomo Metals. About the only thing I could find is
> this
> > address for questions and answers relating to the accident, maintained by
> the
> > Science and Technology Agency: jco_ques@sta.go.jp
> >
> > Tosh Ushino
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Toshihide "Tosh" Ushino, CHP Tel: (800) 548-5100 x2413
> > Product Development Manager Fax: (714) 668-3149
> > Dosimetry Div., ICN Biomedicals, Inc. Email: tushino@icnpharm.com
> > 3300 Hyland Ave., Costa Mesa, CA USA 92626 tushino@hotmail.com
> >
> >
> >
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> >
>
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