Question: How would a radiation accident occur?

Samantha Watson answered on 7 Nov 2016:

There’s a real range of things that could be classed as radiation accidents – from something quite trivial like a scientist spilling some radioactive liquid in a laboratory, to a major event such as an explosion at a nuclear power plant. There are a number of reasons that accidents may occur, including faulty equipment, a mistake made by a person (“human error”), or an accident involving a vehicle carrying radioactive material. Thankfully good control over the use of radiation and radioactive materials means that serious accidents are rare.