Accident to SL-1 reactor

The SL-1 (Stationary Low Power No. 1) was a 3-MW (thermal) boiling water reactor operated by military personnel at the National Reactor Testing Station, Idaho. As a result of interference with the control rods, there was an explosion on 3 January 1961 in which about 5 tonne of coolant were expelled from the pressure vessel (Horan Gammil, 1963). 

Three men were killed by the blast. Their bodies were saturated with highly contaminated water and particles of fuel had penetrated their skin. Rescue teams evacuated the casualties despite gamma dose rates up to 10 Gy h 1 within the reactor building. 

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