Key Lessons From The Three Mile Island and Tokaimura Nuclear Accidents: Enhancing Safety, Accountability and Public Trust

Abstract

The Three Mile Island catastrophe taught us significant and diverse lessons. It serves as a reminder of the need of operator training and readiness, as well as the need for open communication with the public during an emergency. Such events are entirely preventable with enhanced safety measures and human factors engineering. Furthermore, the disaster sparked major revisions in nuclear policy, emphasising accountability and proactive risk management in the sector. As we reflect on this incident, we must ensure that its lessons are not lost, but rather incorporated into continuing efforts to improve nuclear safety and restore public trust in this critical energy source. Another nuclear accident is Tokaimura nuclear accident, although Japan keeps going to shape its energy policies in response to these tragedies, it is critical that all involved parties, including workers, authorities, and businesses, collaborate to ensure that safety is always the number one priority. The lessons of Tokaimura must be remembered and used to guide future practices, ensuring that such major disasters do not occur again.