Use of radiological accident experience in establishing appropriate perspectives in emergency planning

Within a nuclear facility, an emergency can range from a situation that only involves the employees of that facility to a series of events that have both onsite and offsite consequences. Analyses of nuclear and non-nuclear emergencies can provide valuable information on the causes of, as well as the problems encountered during emergencies. Reports on facility emergencies indicate that up to 90% involve human error. Such events occur more frequently during the night shifts or on weekends. These occurrences may result from the absence of experienced personnel as well as the reduced alertness of onsite personnel. Therefore, this paper emphasizes the human element in a review of accidents that have occurred at nuclear facilities including Windscale, SL-1, the Recuplex criticality, the Wood River Junction criticality, the Browns Ferry fire, Three Mile Island, and Chernobyl. These accidents are described, and their consequences are evaluated. The information obtained from these evaluations may be useful for inclusion in nuclear plant operating and testing procedures. 21 refs