The Nuclear Ship Savannah / First Atomic Merchant Ship, One of the World's Safest Ships

by United States. Department of Commerce; United States. Maritime Administration; U.S. Atomic Energy Commission

SAFETY FACTORS

As the world’s first commercial, nonstationary type of nuclear power plant, the SAVANNAH’s design and construction have resulted in a vessel with an unprecedented degree of safety. Basically, the safety considerations concern two separate but closely inter-related factors:

(1) The hull and interior structure surpass the highest standards of safety, both in the conventional marine sense and in the light of the additional factors created by the installation of a nuclear propulsion plant; and

(2) The nuclear propulsion system creates no more hazard to the crew and passengers, and other ships in a busy port, than any modern conventional steam propulsion system—actually, in the light of safety factors, included because of its prototype nature, the N.S. SAVANNAH is as safe as, and in some respects safer than, a steam-powered vessel that burns coal or oil.

The basic difference in safety between a nuclear-powered ship and a conventionally powered ship involves radioactivity which results from the fission process. Provision has been made to control this radioactivity on the SAVANNAH under all foreseeable conditions. This control is accomplished through the following design and operational features: