Re: Thorough implementation of measures to prevent industrial accidents in different works toward recovering from the accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Associated with works toward recovering from the accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (hereafter referred to as “different works at the NPP”), six industrial accidents (excluding occupation related illnesses) have occurred to date that required four days or longer suspension from work; these include falling during cabling work on power poles, and, a drop of wire rope which occurred on 29 October 2011that caused injury to two workers during dismantling of a mobile crane used for the construction of structures to cover one of the reactor buildings. Though the cause of this latter accident is still under investigation, measures to prevent industrial accidents in different works at the NPP need to be further enhanced because serious industrial accidents that received public attention have occurred, and different works at the NPP are expected to be begun before the end of this year in response to the start of a new stage upon completion of step 2 of the roadmap toward recovery from the accident.

Therefore, it is expected that appropriate instructions shall be provided to the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and its primary contractors to ensure thorough implementation of measures to prevent industrial accidents in different works at the NPP.

It should be noted that a letter has been sent to the TEPCO requesting instructions and support shall be provided to contractors as per the Annex.

1. Group guidance
   The group guidance shall be provided in the manner shown below.
    
   
   1. Workers to be provided guidance
      The group guidance shall be provided to workers of the primary contractors that received orders for different works at the NPP from TEPCO. Personnel who are responsible for safety and health at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant such as the safety construction manager of different works at the NPP assigned according to Provision 4 below should also be requested to participate in the guidance meeting.
       
      
   2. Responsible body
      The instructions shall be provided under the responsibility of the Fukushima Prefectural Labour Bureau and the Tomioka Labour Standards Inspection Office.
       
      
   3. Instruction details
      Instructions should be provided, focusing on the following points.
      TEPCO and its primary contactors shall be requested to report how they implement the following points in the group guidance meeting including their voluntary inspection results of point 2) shown below.
       
      

      1)

      Enhancing integrated safety and health control by primary contractors

      2)

      Implementing thorough measures to ensure safety (including measures to prevent recurrence) in response to the industrial accident occurrence status

      3)

      Identifying new workers (workers who were transferred to different works at the NPP from other industries) and providing intensive education to them

      4)

      Ensuring cooperation among the orderer and the primary contractors and subcontractors to allow them to implement properly points 2) and 3) above.

      
      
   4. Time period
      The group guidance shall be provided within 2011.
       
      
2. Voluntary inspection
   Instruction shall be provided to primary contractors to implement a voluntary inspection and report the results before the day of the group guidance meeting described above, where their activities should be verified with respect to points 1) to 4) in Section 1, item (3) above.
    
   
3. Instructions to companies that incurred industrial accidents
   For all companies, in principle, that incurred industrial accidents that require four days or longer suspension from work, and whose causes are attributable to their poor safety management, effective individual instructions shall be provided to the companies’ headquarters, branch, business office or local office (hereafter referred to as “the site”) that controls the said workplace
    
   
4. Enhancement of actions by the company which orders the works
   Instructions shall be provided to TEPCO which orders different works at the NPP to assign a TEPCO safety construction manager of different works at the NPP. In addition to carrying out construction management and exposure dose administration of the construction staff, this safety construction manager: is responsible for ensuring the safety and control of the personnel that are responsible for each of the different works at the NPP; is responsible for providing instructions, as appropriate in conducting particularly dangerous works; and is responsible for taking measures to ensure safety at the workplace.
   Instructions shall be provided to the safety construction manager of different works at the NPP to involve not only staff members in radiation administration and accident restoration actions but also involve staff members in safety and health actions in the construction management actively.
    
   
5. Enhancement of voluntary actions by relevant employers
   As a framework that promotes sharing of information and cooperation among employers that received contracts for different works at the NPP in conducting works at nearby workplaces regardless of their contractual relationship, a coordinating meeting such as a work area coordination meeting (providing instructions according to the Occupational Safety and Health Department Notification No. 1021-2, Re: Establishment of coordination meeting among parties relevant to works for restoration and remediation from the Great East Japan Earthquake and work area coordination meeting, 21 October 2011) or equivalent shall be established with participation of the assigned safety construction manager of different works at the NPP; this is to enhance measures to ensure safety in the different works at the NPP.
    
   
6. Utilization of the commissioned program
   As part of the project for supporting safety and health in works for restoration and remediation from the Great East Japan Earthquake commissioned to the Japan Construction Occupational Safety and Health Association, a support center to prevent industrial accident in works for restoration and remediation from the Great East Japan Earthquake has been established in the Fukushima branch of the Japan Construction Occupational Safety and Health Association to provide (a) support in education of new workers, (b) support in preparation of the restoration work plan, and (c) safety and health consultation serves.
   These programs should be actively utilized, particularly for education of new workers.