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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
Samuel H. Levine, Terry L. Flinchbaugh, John L. Penkala, Daniel E. Hughes, Kenneth E. Rudy, Craig C. Faust, Ronald H. Maag
Nuclear Technology | Volume 89 | Number 2 | February 1990 | Pages 252-267
Technical Paper | Education | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34352
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A requalification program was established for the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor operators after the March 1979 accident made the TMI-2 reactor inoperable. A series of subcritical/critical experiments was presented in this requalification program using the Penn State Breazeale Reactor. The first five experiments were designed to demonstrate various conditions that might occur in the pressure vessel during the defueling program. Later this requalification program was reduced to presenting two experiments of a similar nature, but having different objectives and methods of presentation. These experiments are presented in detail, showing how this program contributed to the training of the TMI-2 operators and their successful removal of the damaged core from the TMI-2 pressure vessel.