A nuclear power plant would have a higher tolerance for earthquake false alarms than an elementary school. Is this statement true or false?

A nuclear power plant would have a higher tolerance for earthquake false alarms than an elementary school. Is this statement true or false?

• A. True
• B. Depends on circumstances
• C. False
• D. Not enough information

Answer: (C)

Safety-critical systems aim to minimize false alarms because a spurious alert at a plant with dangerous consequences can trigger costly, disruptive protective actions. A nuclear power plant relies on highly reliable sensors and multiple independent checks to ensure only real threats cause an automatic shutdown or other safety measures. The stakes are much higher than at a typical elementary school, so engineers design to keep false positives very rare. An elementary school, while still safety-conscious, does not face the same level of risk and economic impact from a false alarm, so its tolerance for false alarms is higher in comparison. Therefore the statement is false.

Safety-critical systems aim to minimize false alarms because a spurious alert at a plant with dangerous consequences can trigger costly, disruptive protective actions. A nuclear power plant relies on highly reliable sensors and multiple independent checks to ensure only real threats cause an automatic shutdown or other safety measures. The stakes are much higher than at a typical elementary school, so engineers design to keep false positives very rare. An elementary school, while still safety-conscious, does not face the same level of risk and economic impact from a false alarm, so its tolerance for false alarms is higher in comparison. Therefore the statement is false.