These are quite a few reports for one day for a technology we purportedly have under full control, nothing to worry.
Did a coal miner write this comment?
A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
261–270 of 545 posts
Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#262Earlier quoted context omitted.
Rather more like "Guy fell over looking into the volcano but fortunately there's a metal fence". The most immediate danger to you is that you'll drown because radioactive water is water and you can't breathe. So the life vest avoids this. In contrast volcanic lava absolutely can kill you before you drown, no problem. Yes, radioactivity isn't good. You should not, for example, drink this water, or swim in it once a we…
In addition to that they increased their likelihood to get cancer earlier than they would otherwise. Many things have this effect, for example alcohol. In the end everyone get cancer eventually, some just die before from other causes.
Unlikely in this case. Water is amazingly as a shielding medium, and unless the water was contaminated (very unlikely, as it’s easily detected and heavily monitored) he likely got lower than background levels while in the pool itself.
Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#263This is bad but cavity water radiation is usually very weak. Ingestion could be bad but its not like he swallowed a uranium isotope which would be catastrophic.
I wouldn't even call it bad. Reactor pools have basically zero radiation at the surface. The water is constantly filtered and kept very pure to remove contaminants that can be activated by neutrons. Even drinking it I would think would be completely fine. The water itself doesn't get activated.
Obligatory what-if:
Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#264Earlier quoted context omitted.
dunno if the life vest bit comment of yours was sarcastic, but it is a funny remark for sure :-) it sounds like "guy felt down in a volcano, but fortunately, he had a life vest"
Rather more like "Guy fell over looking into the volcano but fortunately there's a metal fence". The most immediate danger to you is that you'll drown because radioactive water is water and you can't breathe. So the life vest avoids this. In contrast volcanic lava absolutely can kill you before you drown, no problem. Yes, radioactivity isn't good. You should not, for example, drink this water, or swim in it once a we…
> If you’re concerned about staying within safe radiation levels, Ken Jorgustin explains on the Modern Survival Blog that it would take 432 days at a CPM of 100 to up your chance of getting cancer to odds of 1 in 1,000
> The individual was decontaminated by radiation protection personnel but had 300 counts per minute detected in their hair.
This event will result in acute hair loss. From shaving machine.
Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#265[flagged]
Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#266[flagged]
I'm interested, email me at contact@fbi.gov
Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#267Palisades MI reactor. Currently shut down and de-fueled but a restart of this reactor is apparently underway, with new fuel assemblies being delivered.[1] Worker was wearing a life vest.[2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palisades_Nuclear_Generating_S... [2] https://www.mlive.com/news/2025/10/michigan-nuclear-plant-wo...
dunno if the life vest bit comment of yours was sarcastic, but it is a funny remark for sure :-) it sounds like "guy felt down in a volcano, but fortunately, he had a life vest"
If you work near water you should be wearing a life vest. Especially if it's an area that may be hard to get to or where other dangers are around or if you're alone.
Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#268Earlier quoted context omitted.
dunno if the life vest bit comment of yours was sarcastic, but it is a funny remark for sure :-) it sounds like "guy felt down in a volcano, but fortunately, he had a life vest"
My understanding is that reactor and waste pools are some of the least radioactive environments as they are constantly monitored for leakage.
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Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#269Earlier quoted context omitted.
dunno if the life vest bit comment of yours was sarcastic, but it is a funny remark for sure :-) it sounds like "guy felt down in a volcano, but fortunately, he had a life vest"
My understanding is that reactor and waste pools are some of the least radioactive environments as they are constantly monitored for leakage.
Possibly, but I wouldn't think "least radioactive environments in a nuclear reactor" is a low bar. I don't know, though.
Re: A worker fell into a nuclear reactor pool
#270For comparison: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/around-us/calculator
In other news, a kitten named millicurie did a really adorable thing.
The only remarkable fact here is that the regulatory structure is strong enough that we commoners are entitled to hear about it. That's a Very Good Thing, and one I wish we enjoyed apropos, say, the corporate veil (looking at you, Chevron, Exxon, Shell, Aramco, Sinopec, Amazon, Oracle, AIPAC, United, The Trump Organization, X Corp, Paramount, Skydance, eMed Population Health, Inc., et. al.).
But the story here is a guy fell into some water, and is following SOP (which is also a Very Good Thing).
Please don't feed the clickbait.