How's this for a holiday present for the MFWIC (manager friend who's in charge)?
Dec 23, 10:25 am ET

MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish nuclear power station has been shut indefinitely because of a small missing screw weighing just four to five grams that fell off a machine during refueling, nuclear officials say.


The Zorita plant, located in the central Castille-La Mancha region, cannot reopen until a full report on the screw is completed, a spokesman for the national Nuclear Security Council told Reuters on Monday.

Staff searched for the screw with cameras, but after failing to locate it on film, they concluded it must have slipped into an area of the reactor that was inaccessible to cameras, the spokesman said. He said it was unlikely the missing screw would present any risk.

He said it was unlikely the missing screw would present any risk. Oh yeah... :eek: Great Christmas present. No, I'm not jealous.

Unlikley, eh? Ok, Just how unlikley is it that nothing will happen? I wonder what the backgrond data for that conclusion may be? Any Cove dwellers with Nuclear power plant knowledge around?

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that they're reacting the way they do: Shutting the plant down and going flat out to find the screw.

/Claes

Shutting the plant down and going flat out to find the screw. /ClaesThey are not looking for a screw - they are writing a report to prove it is not dangerous to have it lost somewhere. If they find it (radiation danger to humans) it will be a bonus. All this stuff is done by machines/robots under human control from a safe distance.

Kind of like executing 20 Chinese key employees at facility for shoddy "Q" performance? Another urban legend? :vfunny: :truce:

Kind of like executing 20 Chinese key employees at facility for shoddy "Q" performance? Another urban legend? :vfunny: :truce:Always a good idea to confirm sources.

The Chinese workers? I never heard that rumor.

Dropped screw? Big deal. Greenpeace is on it like stink on dung. Both AP and Reuters news agencies covered it with several releases throughout yesterday and today. AP is a little more informative. This is not a tiny watch screw, it is reported at AP the screw is "less than 2.5 centimeters in diameter" (hey that's a big screw, nearly an inch in diameter!)

Apparently the screw came off one of the tools used by the robots to load the nuclear fuel rods.

For details, how about BBC news? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3343493.stm

HI guys, a lost or missing screw can be serious business. I formerly worked in a F-14 squadron in the U.S. Navy. I have seen the aircraft grounded for something that seemed so small such as a missing tool or missing screw. If the screw or tool got caught in the aircraft flight control linkage or another critical part, it could cause a loss of life. I don`t know how a nuclear power plant works, but it could be a very serious and/or similar situation.

Always a good idea to confirm sources.

The Chinese workers? I never heard that rumor.

For details, how about BBC news? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3343493.stm

Thank you sir! The Chinese story was the summary execution of a Quality Manager, the Plant manager and the 18 other employees for producing shoddy equipment. :rolleyes:

Back in the 80's the government had a program called "FOD" foreign object damage. It applied primarily to manufacturer's producing aircraft parts. The program covered everything from dirt/debris on the floor to missing and left over parts.

Back in the 80's the government had a program called "FOD" foreign object damage. It applied primarily to manufacturer's producing aircraft parts. The program covered everything from dirt/debris on the floor to missing and left over parts.Right!
Check me on this - the first thing that struck me was:
"Where was FMEA? error proofing? preventive maintenance? etc.?"

There is an old rhyme which begins
"For want of a nail, the shoe was lost . . ."

The second thing that struck me was,
"Could something like this happen in my shop?"

They are not looking for a screw - they are writing a report to prove it is not dangerous to have it lost somewhere.Oh, I realize that, but at least they are doing it and not trying to cover it up.


I formerly worked in a F-14 squadron in the U.S. Navy. I have seen the aircraft grounded for something that seemed so small such as a missing tool or missing screw.Right. I flew gliders for about ten years. Less complicated than a fighter, but the same thing goes: You will ground a plane when something goes missing in it.


Back in the 80's the government had a program called "FOD" foreign object damage. It applied primarily to manufacturer's producing aircraft parts. The program covered everything from dirt/debris on the floor to missing and left over parts.I heard about that. Interestingly enough, I also heard that the russians did the opposite: While you tried to eliminate the FO's, they seem to have tried to build machines that could take take the FO's without causing the D... Same problem, different philosophy, I guess.


There is an old rhyme which begins
"For want of a nail, the shoe was lost . . ."

The second thing that struck me was,
"Could something like this happen in my shop?"And there we have it. Details matter, and of course things like that can happen to anyone.

/Claes

Right. I flew gliders for about ten years. Less complicated than a fighter, but the same thing goes: You will ground a plane when something goes missing in it.

I always did worry about those people who did those home-built planes and had parts left over!

I always did worry about those people who did those home-built planes and had parts left over!
Yeah. I've never had that problem, but anyone going up in something, after getting parts left over must be truly certifiable. Fortunately, you need a certificate of airworthiness for anything with wings on it before you're allowed to fly it.

The reason for the DIY boom in aviation is a bit ironic... All manufacturers of light aircraft have been very reluctant to introduce new technique or materials for many years. Why? Because every time one of their products fall out of the sky, they are likley to be sued (A U.S. problem in particular, I believe). The result? People still want to fly, so they build kits or roll their own instead, and then proceed to risk their necks on their own initiative.

Going back to foreign objects, the mere thought of having something loose in your plane is very unpleasent. If you have your mind set on aerobatics it gets a whole lot worse.

/Claes