[rob_c]

> It generally requires operators to know how the systems work in great detail which would have avoided the specific Chernobyl incident.

Hence the above comment doesn't fit with the discussion. The level of "bad" being done by the engineers was right out of the "never do this" list of actions. Unfortunately there's a lot of evidence that bravado or "experience" is what led to them thinking that they knew better.

Not following procedure is fine if it's turn it left not right. It's not good when instead of turning a valve they take a hammer to it. That's throwing instructions away and so makes any sensible discussion from there on mute.

[Retric]

I’d be careful how you blame to operators vs power plant designers vs people designing the test vs the USSR’s culture at the time.

In that exact situation you could swap many people inside the USSR into those roles and likely get a similar result. The specific people who decided to cover up RBMK’s flaws were responding to the same incentives as the people who covered up an earlier serious incident at Chernobyl on September 9th 1982 etc.

The U.S.S.R. had a lot of nuclear issues, and there’s arguably more to learn from the indirect causes than the direct ones.

[rob_c]

For the case of this incident unfortunately yes it lies with the people stepping off the page and doing something the designer never intended.

That being said yes. Lots of lessons to be learned including, why did you build a system that allows them to do this?

Cause is easy to attribute, identifying who was irresponsible and blame less so. In this case it was caused by the operators.

[Retric]

Taking out an excessive number of control rods is something that many people have attempted including US operators. If the reactor lets you do it then that in and of itself is a massive design flaw.