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

Press Release

31 August 2015
Office for Radiation Protection of Workers Industrial Health Division
Occupational Safety and Health Department
Labour Standards Bureau
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Measures to prevent radiation hazards for emergency workers at nuclear facilities were formulated

- Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards and related regulations were partially revised to be applied from 1 April 2016 -

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare promulgated today, and will enforce from 1 April 2016 the Partial Revision of Ministerial Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards that defines actions to prevent radiation hazards of workers, etc.

Based on lessons learned from the accident at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, considering the need to develop provisions concerning the prevention of radiation hazards during the period of emergency works in preparation for cases when nuclear emergencies should occur at nuclear facilities in the future, actions required for preventing radiation hazards in response to the nature of the said works were prescribed.

Specifically seven points shown below were revised in order to obligate employers to take radiation hazard prevention measures.

  1. Setting of the exceptional emergency dose limits
  2. Setting of the exceptional emergency dose limits
  3. Optimization of exposure dose control for exceptional emergency workers
  4. Measurement and confirmation, recording and reporting of the results of exposure dose of emergency workers
  5. Special education provided to exceptional emergency workers
  6. Emergency Ionizing Radiation Medical Examination
  7. Submission etc., of record of the exceptional emergency workers

In accordance with the partial revision of the Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards, the ministerial guideline for the long-term health care of emergency workers* was revised (to be applied from 1 April 2016) as shown below.

*
Guidelines on Maintaining and Improving Health of Emergency Workers at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Public Notice No. 5, 11 October 2011)

  1. The name of the guideline was modified to Guidelines on Maintaining and Improving Health of Emergency Workers at Nuclear Facilities.
  2. Enhanced long-term healthcare (examination items such as cancer screening were added and a stress check will be provided)
  3. Mid-term exposure dose control for workers who were exposed to the radiation beyond the dose limit for regular radiation works
  4. Exposure dose control for the regular radiation works during the exposure dose control period including the time of accident

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare will publicize the ministerial ordinance, public notice and guideline, making them well-known to relevant sections for their enforcement and application from April 2016 and ensuring that appropriate actions will be taken at each work site.

Attachment
  1. Overview of the Ministerial Ordinance on the Partial Revision of the Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards and Related Regulations, etc. PDF 427KB
  2. Draft Ministerial Ordinance to Revise Part of the Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards (Comparison of Current Provisions and Revised Draft Provisions) PDF 215KB
  3. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Public Notice No. 361 (Special Education for Exceptional Emergency Works) PDF 65KB
  4. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Public Notice No. 360 (Events that the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare sets) PDF 18KB
  5. Guidelines on Maintaining and Improving Health of Emergency Workers at Nuclear Facilities, etc. (Overview) PDF 61KB
  6. Guidelines on Maintaining and Improving Health of Emergency Workers at Nuclear Facilities, etc. PDF 63KB
  7. Comparison of the Existing and Draft Revision of the Guidelines on Maintaining and Improving Health of Emergency Workers at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant PDF 91KB
  8. Guidelines on Safety and Health Education for Those Who Are Currently Engaged in Dangerous or Harmful Operations (Extract) PDF 30KB
  9. Guideline on Revision of Part of the Guidelines on Safety and Health Education for Those Who Are Currently Engaged in Dangerous or Harmful Operations (Labour Standards Bureau Notification No. 0831-6) PDF 155KB
  10. Formulation of the Guideline: “Guidelines on Maintaining and Improving Health of Emergency Workers at Nuclear Facilities, etc.” (Labour Standards Bureau Notification No. 0831-10) PDF 154KB
  11. Enforcement of the Ministerial Ordinance for Partial Revision of the Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards and Other Related Regulations (Labour Standards Bureau Notification No. 0831-13) PDF 96KB
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