October 23, 2007 | Mark Paradies

SPAC NOT USED – ENFORCEMENT NI – 6 Sailors Aboard USS Hampton Punished for Falsifying Nuclear Reactor Chemistry Records

USS Hampton

How do six sailors give the entire Nuclear Navy a black eye? Simple … Falsify the results of required chemistry checks for a nuclear reactor. And do it not just once or twice … but for an entire month.

The negative press reports appeared all over.

I spent seven years in the Nuclear Navy (back in the late ’70s and early ’80s). I find the idea of not sampling the reactor chemistry for a month … amazing!  Admiral Rickover is probably spinning in his grave!

From the story, it sounds like they were somehow caught during their ORSE (Operational Reactor Safeguards Exam). Surely this resulted in a failed ORSE. The Commanding Officer and Engineer will be looking for new jobs (probably outside the Navy – their naval careers are ruined).

Once again, if lax enforcement of standards (especially sampling of reactor chemistry) can happen in the Nuclear Navy … poor enforcement of SPAC can happen anyplace.

What are you doing to enforce important policies?

Are you just using late-uncertain-negatives?

Have you tried soon-certain-positives?

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should consider attending the 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced Root Cause Analysis Team Leader Training. It has a section on changing behavior that will teach you what you need to know.

For upcoming course dates/locations, CLICK HERE.

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