scram switch


scram switch

(jargon)(From the nuclear power industry) An emergencypower-off switch (see Big Red Switch), especially onepositioned to be easily hit by evacuating personnel. Ingeneral, this is *not* something you frob lightly; theseoften initiate expensive events (such as Halon dumps) and areinstalled in a dinosaur pen for use in case of electricalfire or in case some luckless field servoid should put 120volts across himself while Easter egging.

SCRAM stands for Safety Control Rod Ax Man. In the early daysof nuclear power, boron moderator rods were raised and loweredon ropes. In the event of a runaway chain reaction, a manwith an axe would chop the rope and drop the rods into thenuclear pile to stop the reaction.

See also molly-guard, TMRC.