ABSTRACT
The personnel of the plants and research institutes worked with great enthusiasm at that time. Everything was done and made for the first time and on one's own. The safety of servicing personnel was basically provided by a severe technological and administrative discipline maintained since the war time and supported by scientific directors of the projects, chief designers, technologists, and managers of all ranks. However, people worked not only because of their conscientious attitude but also for fear. A severe operational regime was set up, cases of dismissals and sometimes prosecution were rather common. Nevertheless, for lack of particular data, especially on the critical masses of uranium and plutonium solutions and other compounds, the operation of technologists at some of the plants posed a considerable risk. Overcautiousness in setting up technological loading rates for fissile materials caused by the lack of many of experimental data was inevitable and in large part justified, though could not always guarantee nuclear safety.
