The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Nuclear Accident

a situation in which an uncontrollable chain reaction arises in a nuclear reactor.

The possibility of an uncontrollable chain reaction occurring throughout the entire core of a nuclear reactor is virtually impossible, since the reactor control and protection system would prevent such a situation from ever arising. However, with the considerable sizes of the modern power reactors, localized brief sources of criticality may arise, which may lead to undesirable consequences, such as damage to the reactor or its core as a result of the rise in heat beyond the permissible level. Such a heat flare-up may be caused, for example, by the shifting of the fuel elements or the erroneous removal of a regulating rod.

A nuclear accident may also be caused by the formation of a critical mass in vessels or devices containing fissionable materials. The possibility that such a nuclear accident will ever arise has been virtually eliminated by the strict observance of safety rules when working with fissionable materials.

IU. I. KORIAKIN

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References in periodicals archive

Another major nuclear accident recorded in history was at Chernobyl which is considered the world's worst nuclear disaster to date.

Solving Nigeria's Power Crisis Using Nuclear Technology

The Welsh Government apparently told the South Wales Resilience Forum to ignore nuclear accidents at Hinkley Point, which have to be classed as a far more severe risk.

A healthy dose of nuclear scepticism

They stressed the need to undertake all necessary measures to ensure the efficient of any pre-emptive contingency plan to avert any nuclear accident. They called upon the Vienna-based UN watchdog to send a technical team to inspect the safety requirements at Bushehr nuclear plan, as demanded by the GCC Secretary General at the recent meeting held in Riyal on April 14, 2013.

GCC Voices Concerns Over Iranian Bushehr Nuclear Plant

A nuclear accident would hit exports of French delicacies and the tourism industry, the world's biggest in terms of visitors, costing France about 160 billion euro ($126 billion), the study said.

Major nuclear accident would cost France $580 bln

The standards set the radiation level of 500 microsieverts per hour for ordering residents outside a 5-kilometer radius from a nuclear power plant to evacuate in several hours after the outbreak of a nuclear accident.

Japan sets tougher standards for evacuation in nuclear accident

In a statement made to the IAEA Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety that opened on Saturday in Japan, the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the IAEA, Ambassador Hamad Al Kbi, said that the UAE will put into practice the lessons learnt from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

UAE reiterates commitment to high standard N-safety

Experts meeting in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, on 22 October, endorsed a European Commission proposal to revise rules on import conditions of food and feed originating from Japan following the Fukushima nuclear accident. Existing restrictions for food and feed imports coming from the prefecture Fukushima are maintained, whereas control measures have been eased for several other prefectures.

FOOD IMPORTS FROM JAPAN

The Chinese decision was almost certainly encouraged by the level of tourism at Chernobyl, where the nuclear accident site attracts thousands of tourists each year.

-Nuclear tourism gaining in popularity

The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a new Federal Law covering civil liability and compensation for nuclear damage that could occur as a result of a nuclear accident.

UAE issues new nuclear liability law

The sum will cover everything from loss of life to loss of property, environmental damage and loss of business in the event of a nuclear accident.

Insurance rules for nuclear sites in the UAE