Chapter 6 Prevention of Inadvertent Criticality

DOE-STD -3009-94

Chapter 6

Prevention of Inadvertent Criticality

P U R P O S E . The purpose of this chapter is to provide information that will support the

development of a safety basis in compliance with the provisions of 10 CFR 830.204(b) (6)

regarding the definition of a criticality safety program. If this information is available in a

site-wide criticality safety program description, and it complies with the Rule

requirements, then it can be included by reference and summarized in this chapter.

Expected products of this chapter include:

Definition of a criticality safety program that (1) ensures that operations with

fissionable material remain subcritical under all normal and credible abnormal

conditions, (2) identifies applicable nuclear criticality safety standards, and (3)

describes how the program meets applicable nuclear criticality standards.

Description of the basis and analytical approach the facility uses for deriving

operational criticality limits.

Summary of design and administrative controls used by the criticality safety

program.

Existing supporting documentation is to be referenced. Include brief abstracts of

referenced documentation with enough of the salient facts to provide an understanding of

the referenced documentation and its relation to this chapter.

A P P L I C A T I O N O F T H E G R A D E D A P P R O A C H . Hazard Category 3

facilities, by definition, do not contain sufficient fissile mater ials to present a criticality

hazard. This chapter is, therefore, not applicable to Hazard Category 3 facilities.

Inventory limits specified in the TSRs will control the amount of fissile materials. This

chapter applies only to Hazard Category 2 facilit ies with inventories of fissile materials

sufficient to present an inadvertent criticality hazard.

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