ABSTRACT
There is much public concern about the safety of nuclear reactors. But the facts speak for themselves. During the 12,700 reactor-years of civil nuclear power generation, there has been only two nuclear accidents: Three Mile Island accident in USA in 1979, in which no body was killed, and the Chernobyl accident in 1986, which killed about 40 people directly, and had serious health and environmental consequences. It is important to remember that the Chernobyl accident did not bring to light any previously unknown phenomena or safety issue. The Chernobyl reactor design was basically flawed – it would not have taken place if the already known reactor physics has been taken into consideration in the design.
