SPAC NOT USED – ENFORCEMENT NI – 6 Sailors Aboard USS Hampton Punished for Falsifying Nuclear Reactor Chemistry Records
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:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21418417/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,303861,00.html
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/10/22/ap4246036.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003967171_webnukesub22.html
I spent 7 years in the Nuclear Navy (back in the late 70’s and early 80’s). 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 course information, dates/locations, and registration see:
http://www.taproot.com/courses.php?d=2
