HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-07-09, Page 12]sage 12—Lucia-Kw Seutiuelp. Wedner day9 J y 99 1986
Hydro
reps speak out
To the Editor:
Reports about the Chernobyl nuclear
accident leave understandably led to
intense public interest about nuclear safety
here in Ontario. Information about the
cause of the Chernobyl accident is,far from
complete, but we do know that there are
significant differences between this plant
and ours. Unlike the CANDU design used
by Ontario Hydro, the Chernobyl reactor
contained graphite which caught fire and
seems to have played a major role in the
accident. The approach to containment
used at Chernobyl also appears to be
different from ours. While we all hope to
learn from Chernobyl, it is too early to ,
draw conclusions based on our present
knowledge of the Soviet experience.
However, we are not complacent when it
comes to nuclear safety. We wish to assure
you, on behalf of Ontario Hydro's employ-
ees and management, of our continuing
commitment to safety - safety achieved
through quality design and engineering,.
quality of materials and construction,
extensive training of operating staff, and
effective maintenance and control.
The employees who have designed and
who work, in the CANDU plants have
worked hard to build a performance and
safety record that we are extremely proud.
of. By now we have well over 100 million
man-hours of experience with high perfor-
mance nuclear operations, without a single
fatality from radiation.
Hydro's employees are committed to
safetyand they are trained to cope with
emergencies: Safety begins with people,
and it begins even before a plant is built.
Hydro's engineering, safety analysis and
project management . are recognized
throughout North America as of extremely
high quality. Ontario Hydro sets rigorous
supply and construction standards (90 per
cent of the components are Canadian made
• to Canadian standards), and has always
made it a point to employ the best
operations,maintenance and technical
staff.
Hydro's selection program for nuclear
workers is extremely rigorous; academic
and security standards are very high. Once
selected, nuclear workers get the most
extensive training of any of our employees:
we spend about $40 million a year on
nuclear training. It normalll takes 10 years
to rase from entry level to the level of First
Operator, and just as long to rise from
junior engineer (university graduate) to
Shift Supervisor or Technical Superintend-
ent. At every level there is both classroom
and on the job training, Ontario Hydro
examinations, then a series of live Atomic
Energy Control Board exams for First
Operators and Shift Supervisors.
Hydro uses full scope nuclear training
simulators (worth about $40 million each)
at our major nuclear sites - exact replicas of
plant control rooms, Workers can learn to
handle every credible kind of emergency
usingthese mock-ups, In addition, Hydro
conducts and participates in annual
emergency response exercises in conjunc-
tion with municipal arid provincial agenc-
ies.
The Atomic Energy Control Board,
(AECB), an independent federal agency
reporting to the federal government, is
responsible for establishing the rules and
regulations governing reactor safety in
Canada. AECB requirements are based on
international safeguards. Hydro trust
satisfy all the AECB's safety regulations
and licensing requirements. AECB has
inspectors stationed at each plant at all
times.
We. believe that secrecy is incompatible
with .the' safe management of nuclear
power and our accountability to the public.
The working environment is conducive to
worker safety suggestions. Significant
Events 'Reports are filed for any operating
incidents, to be closely analysed by senior
Hydro managers and, the AECB. Virtually
every detail and aspect 6f the design and
operation of Hydro's nuclear plants is open
to public view.
This kind of attention to safety bears
results: Hydro is an industry leader in
safety. The Royal Commission on Electric
Power Planning and a select committee of
the Ontario Legislature agreed: they found
the CANDU system acceptably safe, after
exhaustive public hearings.
Ontario Hydro's reactors are housed in
sealed containment structures. with mas-
sive reinforced concrete walls:. Our CAN -
DUs also have a vacuum system to ensure.
1
Award winners at the St. Joseph's School graduation included Rhonda Hogan who won the
Music award, Cara Stright who won the Father Mike Dalton Sportsmanship award and
Sarah Brophy who won the Proficiency award, the West Wawanosh Science award and
°French award. (photo by Susan Hundertmark)
that if any radioactive material is released
into the containment building, it is immedi-
ately sucked into a second containment
facility called a vacuum building. Here
there is a dousing tank in the roof to
condense any radioactive 'steam to water.
All CANDU reactors used in Ontario
have high pressure emergency cooling
systems or are in the. process of having
them installed. The retrofitting,of these
systems demonstrates . that our safety
• designs are not static. CANDUsa also
notable in that they are the only reactors in
commercial use anywhere with two inde-
pendent automatic emergency shutdown
systems.
In terms of preventing accidents, the
Canadian approach is to assume the
possibility of serious accidents and design,
stations accordingly. The CANDU is
designed to shut down safely in the event
• of their equipment failure,human error, or
combinations of failures: When we had a
pressure tube rupture at Pickering Unit 2
in 1983, the• system was shut down in a
routine way with no release of radioac-
tivity. Thus, even if .failures occur from
time to time, Ontario Hydro's., nuclear
plants are designed with enough back-up
protective and safety systems to control the
situation - "defence in depth" as we call it.
Hydro's employees are experts at using
nuclear energy safely; in addition to
training and work experience, many have
homes and families near the plants. Our
commitment to safety consequently goes
far beyond; simple adherence to workplace
rules.
We hope we have assured you that,
among Ontario Hydro employees and
management, nuclear safety is a way of
life.
Tom Campbell,
Chairman,
Ontario Hydro.
Kurt Johansen,
President,
The Society of
Ontario Hydro
Professional and
Administrative
Employees
Jack MacDonald,.
President
The Ontario Hydro
Employees' Union
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