The Criticality Accident in SAROV

The Criticality Accident in SAROV

Introduction

Problem Statement

In such normal conditions , nuclear reactors are most of the time kept under a critical mass . Propagating nuclear reaction only emerges when the minimum threshold content capacity of nuclear material is reached which usually occurs with the significant presence of a fissile material known as uranium-235 (U-235 . According to Keyes (2004 , U-235 atom possesses a correct geometrical configuration that can initiate chain reaction when bombarded with thermal neutron , which consequently splits the U-235 atom and creates fragments of new elements with (1

) two radioactive and /or non-radioactive (2 ) increased energy , and (3 ) three new free neutrons . Under this principle , the free neutrons further splits and cause further cascading chain reaction and uncontrolled fission , which descriptively defines the occurrence of criticality accident (Musolino 2001 . One of the most highlighted accidents involving the propagation of neutron reaction , or simply criticality incident , is the happening at Sarov , Nuclear Centre , in the Russian Federation

On June 171997 , a physicist , violating the safety codes of the centre has encountered a deadly incident during the assembly of high enriched uranium (Khodalev , Trasova and Zhinik , et al . 1998 . The events of the accident have triggered tremendous physiological and pathological variations . The direct initial exposure to high neutron dose of 10-11 Gy has reached the approximation of 200-300 Gy in 10 hours based on documented medical records , which eventually led to the death of the senior technician in less than three days despite of immediate medical action

The organization of International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA ) has participated in the prompt medical action of possibly saving the life of the victim . Under the 1986 Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency to provide the Clinical Department of the Institute of Biophysics of the Ministry of Health in Moscow , IAEA has issued the best possible medical engineers and health physician experts in aid of health management for the victim (IAEA 2001 . During the course of the medical intervention , the patient has shown frequent signs of intoxications and physical distress however , in less than 10 hours of post-exposure , the patient has already developed multiple organ compromise (Konchalovsky , Baranov , and Kolganov 2005 The death of the overexposed engineer is considered a rare type of fatality due to the instance of severe fast-phased extension of the signs and symptoms . Nevertheless , the accident has evidently involved a breach in the facility protocol and one angle of the incident is the policy implementations and workforce management from lower to higher positions . According to Keyes (2004 , the quantity of uranium used and the geometrical shape of the fragment have caused the criticality , which eventually resulted to high levels of neutron energy in the form of heat (147

Despite of the evident breach in the facility protocols , the responsibility of the incident has been thrown to the Russian Federal ministries , commissions and government bodies in consideration to policy implementation and the safety of facilities . According to IAEA (2001 the Ministry for Atomic Energy...