This last phrase suggests the reason nuclear energy proved such a difficult thing for society to think about or use. Human beings had never dealt with anything like nuclear energy before. True, scientists knew that the release of nuclear energy powered the sun and the world had seen what the nuclear energy released in atomic bomb blasts could do, but, people in the period after World War II simply did not know enough to understand how little they knew about atomic energy or how much of what they thought they knew was wrong. Now, instead of arguing over whether catastrophies could occur, experts are studying how to prevent them. - Design . The accident showed the importance of the many safety devices used in Western reactors, but suggested, too, that more such devices may be needed.
New questions arise now about the adequacy of containment structures designed to trap radiation.
Chernobyl, with its major operating violations, proved again that humans are the weak link in reactor safety. Some experts say many operators and managers are still insufficiently trained or careful to prevent another major mishap. Chernobyl showed major gaps in procedures for fighting radioactive fires and treating victims, and highlighted the fact that no local emergency plan now in existence is designed to handle an accident as large as Chernobyl. Much can be learned from the Soviety experience in entombing reactors, resettling tens of thousands of people, decontaminating and monitoring a vast area, reducing exposure to residual radiation and managing workers who regularly enter a radioactive area. Concerns over the timely issuance of accident warnings to other countries have been settled since Chernobyl, but there is no wide agreement on economic liability, radiation standards and sharing of accident data.