"Criticality safety" can be described as the art of avoiding an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction. The Los Alamos National Laboratory Nuclear Criticality Safety Group, HSR-6, offers classes in criticality safety aimed at various levels of nuclear facility personnel and other people with a need for such training.

Ad Hoc Nuclear Criticality Safety Refresher
The ad hoc Criticality Safety Refresher is a one- to one-and-one-half hour course that is tailored to the attendees' needs. This course is intended for LANL employees only.

2-Day Course
The 2-Day Training Program for Nuclear Criticality Safety is an intensive course of lectures and laboratory, including active student participation in actual criticality experiments. This course is intended for LANL employees only.

3-Day Course
The 3-Day program is directed toward personnel who currently have criticality safety responsibilities such as supervisory staff and/or line management, members of criticality safety review committees, members of federal organizations such as DOE Facility Representatives (and FO and SO personnel), DNFSB members and staff, NRC staff, and DOD/EOD personnel. A basic background in mathematics and science is assumed, however, detailed theoretical developments will be avoided. Examples and common analogies are used to explain complex concepts and processes. Course content encourages realistic perspectives in a world where zero-risk is impossible and total risks must be controlled to acceptably low levels.

Basic 5-Day Course
The Basic 5-Day program is directed toward personnel who currently have significant criticality safety responsibilities, engineers entering the field of criticality safety, and others with a strong involvement in criticality safety. A strong background in mathematics and science, along with fundamentals such as found in basic reactor theory courses, is assumed. The course emphasizes practical approaches and common-sense attitudes toward criticality safety and putting criticality accident risks into perspective. Course content encourages realistic perspectives in a world where zero-risk is impossible and total risks must be controlled to acceptably low levels.

Practical Methods for Criticality Safety Specialists (Previously the Advanced 5-Day Course)
The ideal attendee for the Practical Methods course would be someone who is reasonably new to NCS, but is a full-time practitioner, and has attended the Los Alamos Basic 5-day course.