News analysis
USA: injuries in the smoking room when a nuclear sub crashes
Wellington Medical School, University of Otago, New Zealand; gthomson@wnmeds.ac.nz
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In January this year a US nuclear powered attack submarine, the USS San Francisco, crashed into an undersea mountain that was not marked on the navigation chart being used. A total of 99 crew members were injured, particularly in the areas that were relatively open: the smoking room, the crews mess, and the engine rooms. The one crew member who sustained fatal injuries was smoking in the smoking room at the time.
It is perhaps surprising to think that there is actually space in a submarine for a smoking room. Indeed, it seems somewhat alarming that smoking is permitted given that there must be some (albeit small) increased fire risk. Furthermore, there are concerns around the performance of nicotine dependent workersgiven the data that smokers are at increased risk of workplace injuries. One survey has reported that 55% of submariners (from two UK nuclear submarines) felt that it would be
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