the
nuclear ship
SAVANNAH
_first atomic merchant ship_
one of the world’s
SAFEST
ships
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Frederick H. Mueller, _Secretary_
MARITIME ADMINISTRATION
Ralph E. Wilson, _Chairman_, Federal Maritime Board
and _Maritime Administrator_
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
John A. McCone, _Chairman_
[Illustration: Multiple advanced electronic and mechanical safety
devices guard this “atomic heart.”]
CONTROL ROD DRIVE MOTORS
HYDRAULIC SCRAM CYLINDERS
DRIVE LINE LEAD SCREW SECTION
BUFFER SEAL ENCLOSURE
BORON STEEL CONTROL RODS
PRESSURE VESSEL
OUTLET NOZZLE
REACTOR CORE
THERMAL SHIELD
FUEL ELEMENTS
FLOW BAFFLE
SUPPORT RING
INLET NOZZLE
PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR
The N.S. SAVANNAH, the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, is
one of the safest seagoing craft in the world.
This is the result of careful and deliberate planning.
Every appropriate safety device, factor, and technique were sought in
the design and planning stage, and the ship’s construction has probably
been more closely and intensively inspected, tested, and scrutinized
than that of any other merchant ship ever built.
SAFETY POLICY BASIC
The Declaration of Policy of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 calls upon
the Maritime Administration for the promotion and maintenance of an
American Merchant Marine for trade and defense “composed of the best
equipped, safest, and most suitable types of vessels.”
The Atomic Energy Commission is engaged in the N.S. SAVANNAH project as
a part of its responsibility under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 “to
encourage widespread participation in the development and utilization of
atomic energy for peaceful purposes to the maximum extent consistent
with the common defense and security and with the health and safety of
the public.” The Commission has the responsibility of providing a safely
operable nuclear power plant for the vessel; instructions and
regulations for the disposition of wastes; the use, handling, and
disposal of source, special nuclear, and by-product material; and the
health and safety aspects associated with these responsibilities.
Ship safety ashore, abroad, on the high seas, and in port is of major
interest to the Maritime Administration, the Atomic Energy Commission,
the U.S. Coast Guard, the Public Health Service, and such private
agencies as the American Bureau of Shipping.
The N.S. SAVANNAH is constructed to meet or surpass every standard set
by all of these responsible agencies and will have a substantial
built-in safety margin in excess of the most stringent requirements of
applicable standards, which are among the highest in the world. Where
there were no existing standards every precaution in keeping with sound
judgment and engineering experience has been applied in the construction
and safety considerations of the ship.
_The N.S. Savannah Is a Safe Ship_
The reputation of American industry and the integrity of the Government
of the United States stand behind this statement.
Following is a detailed listing of the factors that make the N.S.
SAVANNAH so safe: