Safety Considerations in Nuclear Operations

Abstract

While some aspects of reactor safety procedures were already discussed in Section 6.1, here we give a more general review of safety measures that have been instituted for reactor and nuclear fuel handling operations. We start with discussing the nature of nuclear radiation and its effects on man and bio-matter. Next we consider radiation dose measurements and tolerable exposure levels, followed by a review of radiation protection measures and safety assurance in reactor operations. Finally, some typical mishaps in reactor operations and fuel handling are discussed and a review is given of serious nuclear accidents that have occurred since the beginning (1945) of the nuclear age, including the Three-Mile-Island (TMI) and Chernobyl reactor meltdowns in 1979 and 1986.