Database of radiological incidents and related events--Johnston's Archive
Mayak Enterprise criticality accident, 1957
compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last modified 14 September 2005
Date:
21 April 1957
Location:
Mayak Enterprise, Russia, USSR
Type of event:
criticality accident with uranium solution
Description:
The accident occurred in a glovebox assembly within which uranium solution was precipitated into vessels. For several reasons, an unexpectedly large amount of uranium precipitate accumulated in a filter receiving vessel. The operator at the glovebox observed the filter vessel to bulge prior to ejection of gas and some solution and precipitate from the vessel within the glovebox. The operator gathered some precipitate by (gloved) hand and returned it to the vessel; within seconds she began to feel ill. It was not recognized that a criticality excursion had occurred until the radiation control officer made measurements 15-20 minutes later. The female operator received a whole body dose of 3,000 rad and died 12 days later. The other five operators in the room at the time received doses over 300 rad; all developed radiation sickness and recovered.
Consequences:
1 fatality (3,000 rad), 5 injuries (over 300 rad).
References:
- McLaughlin, Thomas P., Shean P. Monahan, Norman L. Pruvost, Vladimir V. Frolov, Boris G. Ryazanov, and Victor I. Sviridov, May 2000, A Review of Criticality Accidents, 2000 Revision, Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos, NM), on line at CSRIC [http://www.csirc.net/docs/reports/la-13638.pdf].
© 2004, 2005 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 14 September 2005.
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