Workers Fukushima limits of human endurance

Written by Sandeep Nehra

Pushed to the limits of human endurance, employees of the nuclear accident in Fukushima receive huge doses of radioactivity and only leave their protective suits for collapse on a mattress of lead.

Since the central Fukushima Daiichi (Fukushima 1) suffered an earthquake of magnitude 9 and a tsunami of up to 14 meters high, technicians, super fire “and soldiers to kill the task in a radioactive environment.

They pull cables to restore electricity, emit debris bulky sites, sprinkle the reactor cooling systems of private and try to restart the operation of equipment.

Wearing coveralls, lined gloves and a mask for protection, and equipped with flashlights for lighting in places often plunged into darkness, the teams will follow 24 hours 24 before tasting a short rest.

Workers may sleep in a building located within the grounds of the plant, partly designed to withstand radiation, however, reaching a rate higher than normal in this confined space.

They sleep in precarious conditions, as mattress with a mat supposed to lead to the dam and reduce the radiation hazard.

“Employees are sleeping in groups in meeting rooms, hallways or near bathrooms. Everyone sleeps on the floor,” said Kazuma Yokota, a supervisor of the plant.

“We eat twice a day. At breakfast, high-energy biscuits, instant rice for dinner and canned foods,” he says with a team of Japanese television, bags under the eyes.

In the early days of the crisis, each participant received only one and a half liters of bottled water, “he lamented, adding that some had complained of being unable to change their underwear for two weeks.

“We want to avoid as much as possible to stay too long (on the plant site), because we are constantly exposed to radiation,” says Yokota.

The difficulties encountered by 500 people, employees of the electricity company running the site, Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), or sub-contractors to stabilize the situation, however, may extend the duration of the work.

The spokesman of the government for its part acknowledged that the rotation of workers was “not sufficient”.

“It is difficult to find replacements with specialized skills” who can help revive crucial reactor coolant system, said an official of the company Hitachi, which sent 170 people in Fukushima Daiichi.

Two workers were irradiated last week, after market, equipped with simple ankle boots, in water that leaked into the engine room.

“Working conditions are becoming more dangerous, I do not think we can find other employees who are willing to go”, said a subcontractor to the newspaper Asahi.

The legal limit of radiation allowed for staff in times of nuclear crisis has been raised to 250 mSv per year since the accident in Fukushima, as against 100 before.

An annual exhibition for over 100 mSv increases the risk of subsequent cancer, especially as the radioactivity “absorbed” is almost gained a lifetime and is combined with future exposures.

Consequently, employees are asked not to stay too long at work and increase the breaks, so that their level of radioactivity up to 250 staff will mSv, which would prohibit them from continuing the work.

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