Software Bug Blamed in Radioactive Spill
Event Year: | 2002 | Reliability: | Likely But Unconfirmed |
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Country: | Australia | ||
Industry Type: | Mining | ||
Description: | A pipe burst at the uranium mine and in about four minutes 62,000 litres of radioactive liquid escaped from the pipe into an area around the uranium processing plant. The leak was an acid solution containing a mixture of chemicals including innocuous salts, as well as radioactive and toxic chemicals. The most significant of which was uranium. There had been a computer error and human error had caused the accident. A chain of events contributed to the accident. |