| The Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan | | | | mechanical system to respond to dangerous events |
| discharged approximately 350 gallons of radioactive | | | | in an appropriate manner. Passive safety systems |
| water into the sea today after an earthquake shook | | | | rely on the laws of nature to ensure a reactor |
| the Japanese town, which is 160 miles northwest of | | | | responds in an appropriate manner during potentially |
| Tokyo. | | | | dangerous events. The laws of nature include for |
| Fortunately, the radioactive contamination levels fell | | | | instance, incorporating the law of physics in |
| well below legal limits. The power plant is the one | | | | engineered components of nuclear power plants |
| largest nuclear facility's in the world and just one of | | | | whereby a nuclear reaction would slow versus |
| fifty-five nuclear reactors in Japan. The incident, in | | | | accelerate during potentially dangerous situations or |
| light of the recent swarm of headlines regarding | | | | events. |
| alternative energy use and the possible re-emergence | | | | Nuclear power plants also possess structural safety |
| of nuclear power as a primary alternative energy | | | | systems. Surrounding a nuclear reactor are certain |
| source, leaves many to wonder, is nuclear power | | | | containment structures, such as the fuel ceramic, |
| safe? | | | | metal fuel cladding tubes and the reactor vessel and |
| Nuclear energy has both good and bad points. It | | | | coolant system. Finally, nuclear reactors are housed in |
| creates a huge amount of energy without using | | | | containment buildings. Containment buildings, which are |
| valuable fossil fuels, but it also produces radioactive | | | | made of steel or concrete, enclose nuclear reactors |
| materials that can be extremely harmful to the | | | | to contain the escape of radiation. |
| environment. Consequently, nuclear safety includes | | | | Ultimately, human exposure to radiation, the primary |
| actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation | | | | contamination of concern at nuclear power plants, is |
| accidents or to limit their consequences. | | | | more likely to come from exposure natural |
| Workers at nuclear plants, and the larger | | | | background radiation and from some medical |
| environment, run a risk due to this radioactive | | | | procedures. In fact, studies exist finding no evidence |
| material. Nuclear power plants must be run very | | | | of increased risk of exposure to radiation or |
| carefully to ensure that there are no mistakes, which | | | | occurrences of cancer in individuals living near nuclear |
| is why nuclear power plant operators promote a | | | | facilities. For instance, in 1990 a study by the National |
| safety culture. The term "safety culture" is a term | | | | Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of |
| introduced by the International Nuclear Safety | | | | Health, which surveyed over 900,000 cancer deaths |
| Advisory Group in a report published on the | | | | in counties near nuclear facilities, found no increased |
| Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The International Atomic | | | | incidence of cancer mortality in people living near 62 |
| Energy Agency (IAEA) defines safety culture as "an | | | | different nuclear facilities in the United States. |
| assembly of characteristics and attitudes in | | | | Regardless of the safety systems in place, which |
| organizations and individuals, which establishes that, as | | | | promote a culture of safety in nuclear power plant |
| an overriding priority, nuclear plant safety issues | | | | operations, no industrial activity is risk-free. |
| receive the attention warranted by their significance." | | | | Occurrences take place, which are completely outside |
| Safety culture is about improving safety attitudes in | | | | our control, as evidenced by the earthquake, which |
| people, but it is also about good safety management | | | | impacted the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power. Any |
| established by organizations with a holistic, whole | | | | malfunction, accident or natural disaster at or near a |
| community, whole of life approach. A good safety | | | | nuclear power plant presents potentially devastating, |
| culture implies a constant assessment of the safety | | | | long-term impacts to the surrounding community and |
| significance of events, such as earthquakes or other | | | | environment. |
| natural disasters. | | | | About the Publisher: This report is published by |
| Additionally, nuclear power plants possess both active | | | | Energy Business Reports, an energy industry think |
| and passive safety systems. Active safety systems | | | | tank and leading source for energy industry |
| are systems activated by a human operator, an | | | | information and research products. |
| automatic computer driven system, or even a | | | | |