Criticality safety event occurred at LANLs plutonium facility
Source: Albuquerque Journal
SANTA FE – There’s been a “criticality safety event” at Los Alamos National Laboratory during plutonium work that resulted in a pause in operations and the “disqualifying” of workers.
LANL in 2016 was the only one of the Department of Energy’s nuclear facilities to receive a failing “red” safety rating in the area of “criticality,” or prevention of nuclear chain reactions that could lead to radiation releases.
A report by the Los Alamos staff of an independent federal oversight board says that on Aug. 18, a crew that had cast a “shell,” part of the construction of plutonium pits that are the triggers for nuclear weapons, then moved the shell “into a location that already contained plutonium metal,” exceeding plutonium limits. The violation was discovered three days later when the shell was moved again.
“Following discovery, the crew conducted two additional nuclear material movements that they felt were necessary for product quality and security, rather than declare a potential process deviation as required by procedure and training,” says the report by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
Read more: https://www.abqjournal.com/1067835/report-criticality-event-occured-at-lanl-plutonium-facility.html
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Get them too close to one another and they get into heated arguments! 
All jokes aside, I'm glad the watchdog process appears to be working, that they corrected this error, and took remedial action against future events. It is however, frightening that this sort of event is happening with some regularity - suggesting their overall chain of accountability is lacking.
(snip):
A critical report earlier this year by the Center for Public Integrity highlighted at a 2011 incident at LANL where eight plutonium rods were placed side-by-side for a celebratory photograph, which the report says was described internally at lab “as the most dangerous nuclear-related incident at that facility in years.”
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Come on guys, this ain't a soccer team you're building here! 
Rods of plutonium placed precariously close for the purpose of taking this 2011 photo. The error caused a multiyear production setback. (Source: National Nuclear Security Administration)
The building in Japan where a 1999 criticality accident caused deaths and an evacuation. (Source: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
All I have to keep me sane is a little humor and a little music. A hug from my granddaughter and fixing small appliances helps, too, LOL.
Being an damned 'ole engineer, my humor is generally dry as a bone, but the wit of some folks on DU keeps me giggling for very long spells. Thanks, DU! 
