Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

In Focus: Radiation Protection at Works Relating to TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

To:
Governor of Fukushima Prefecture
From:
Director
Occupational Safety and Health Department
Labour Standards Bureau
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (official seal imprinted)
21 June 2011
Occupational Safety and Health Department Notification
No.0621-2

Re: Actions to be taken for the works in which interpretation and application of the “Permission standard on temporary entry to the restricted area” (entry for the public interest) is used

The continuing support and understanding of the Office of the Governor in administrating actions of the Occupation Safety and Health Department are gratefully acknowledged.


With regard to the above subject, a notification Actions to be taken in the area within a 20 kilometer radius from the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Occupational Safety and Health Department Notification No. 0517-4, 17 May 2011) and a policy paper Interpretation and application of the permission standard on temporary entry (entry for the public interest) to the restricted area (Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, 16 June 2011; hereafter referred to as the “Interpretations”) were issued as shown in Annex 1. In order to prevent health impairment by radiation of workers whose entry was permitted pursuant to the Interpretations, the notification Occupational Safety and Health Department Notification No. 0621-1, 21 June 2011 has been sent to the Director, Fukushima Prefectural Labour Bureau, per Annex 2.


The actions in the notification shall be made known to all the municipalities within Fukushima Prefecture.


 

Annex-1

Interpretation and application of the “Permission standard on temporary entry to the restricted area” (entry for the public interest)

16 June 2011
Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters

The Permission standard on temporary entry to the restricted area (Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, 23 April 2011) states that the temporary entry to the area of those persons whose non-entry would significantly affect the public interest shall be permitted on a case-by-case basis, with conditions associated with the entry, by the municipal mayor after having discussions with the Director of Nuclear Emergency Response Onsite Headquarters individually (Article 2 (1) of the Permission standard).


Operation of businesses in areas that are located within a 20 kilometers from the nuclear power plant by employers who were permitted temporary entry to the restricted area by applying the Permission standard would not ensure a certain distance from the nuclear power plant, and could cause a situation that evacuation is difficult and also their employees may be suddenly exposed to radiation within a short period of time, in the case of a worsening of the plant conditions, that could lead to an explosion of the plant and release of radioactive materials. Therefore it is not appropriate, in principle, to permit such business operations. The conditional permission is provided in response to the requests from business owners only allowing them to take out their equipment.


However, when, in addition to the permission standard in the public interest, the conditions of (1) shown below are entirely satisfied, the temporary entry for the business operation may be permitted as long as the municipal mayor individually makes an arrangement with Director of Nuclear Emergency Response Onsite Headquarters from the perspectives of safety and considering potential benefit gained socially as well as economically by the operation of the business because:


  1. It is possible to ensure the safety of the workers without detracting from the intention of setting the “restricted area” that is to ensure a consistent distance from the nuclear power plant (A – C), and
  2. There is no effective alternative method (D).

In issuing the permission, the conditions associated with the entry shown in the following (2) need to be satisfied.

  1. Conditions related to the site
    A)
    Distance
    A part of the business site is located outside the circle of the 20 kilometers radius from the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
    B)
    Evacuation inside a building
    The business operates exclusively inside a building, and it can be recognized as the continuation of indoor evacuation.
    C)
    Emergency communication system
    An emergency communication system (available during work) shall be systematically established, allowing emergency situations to be known to everyone on the site.
    D)
    Restriction on taking out equipment
    It is virtually impossible for the employers to take out their equipment from the site, and they are allowed to operate only within the restricted area.
  2. Conditions related to workers at the site
    (a)
    Evacuation plan
    The employer shall have an evacuation plan in case the situation of the nuclear power plant worsens, and make arrangements in preparation for it (the plan shall be submitted to and approved by the municipal government and the Nuclear Emergency Response Onsite Headquarters.).
    (b)
    Duration of temporary entry
    The maximum duration of temporary entry to the area shall be approximately 3 months. The evacuation plan shall be reviewed as required during the period. After that the duration may be extended.
    (c)
    Measurement of ambient dose rate on the site
    The ambient dose rate on the site shall be measured.
    • In case the cumulative dose in one year is unlikely to reach 20 mSv, requirement No. 6 (Clothing and equipment at the entry) and requirement No. 7 (Screening) specified in the Permission standard on temporary entry to the restricted area shall not be required. In this case, it shall be confirmed that the ambient dose rate outside the building is lower than 3.8μ Sv/h, and the ambient dose rate inside of the building is sufficiently below 3.8μ Sv/h.
    • In case the cumulative dose in one year is likely to reach 20 mSv, provisions defined in the notification “Requirements that Municipalities should meet in case employers intend to continue their business in the planned evacuation area as a special case” shall be applied.
    (d)
    Administration of exposure dose of workers
    The employer shall make sure that one of the workers in a group or each worker carries a personal dosimeter, and the employer shall check and record the dose in the business office.
    (e)
    Periodical medical examination
    The employer shall make sure that the workers have medical examinations periodically.

 

Annex-2
To:
Director
Fukushima Prefectural Labour Bureau
From:
Director
Occupational Safety and Health Department
Labour Standards Bureau
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (official seal imprinted)
21 June 2011
Occupational Safety and Health Department Notification
No.0621-1

Re: Actions to be taken to the works in which interpretation and application of the “Permission standard on temporary entry to the restricted area” (entry for the public interest) is used

With regard to the above subject, a notification entitled Re: Actions to be taken in the area within a 20-kilometer radius from the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Occupational Safety and Health Department Notification No. 0517-1, 17 May 2011) and a policy paper entitled Interpretation and application of the permission standard on temporary entry (entry for the public interest) to the restricted area (hereafter referred to as “Interpretations”) (Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, 16 June 2011) were issued as shown in Annex 1. In order to prevent health impairment by radiation exposure of workers whose entry was permitted in accordance with the Interpretations, it has been concluded that the following matters should be ensured. It is desired that nothing goes amiss in providing relevant employers on the site with instructions on how to act accordingly.

It should be noted that the same content of this notification has been sent to the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture as per Annex-2.

Note
  1. Employers who were permitted temporary entry by completely meeting Article (1) of the Interpretations pursuant to Article 2 (1) of the Permission standard on temporary entry to the restricted areas (Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, 23 April 2011) shall appropriately implement the matters specified in (a) to (e) of Article (2) of the Interpretations.
  2. With regard to Article (2) (d) of the Interpretations, the measured exposure dose shall be recorded on a daily basis and be kept appropriately. Also, when workers request notification of their accumulated exposure dose, they shall be notified of it.

(Annex-1 & Annex-2 omitted)