–Maximum radiation exposure dose workers receiving at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant will be reduced from 250 mSv to 100 mSv –
The Minister of the Health, Labour and Welfare had consulted with the Labor Policy Council (Chaired by Yasuo Suwa, Professor of Hosei Graduate School of Regional Policy Design) about “the outline of the draft Ministerial Ordinance for partial revision of exemption in the Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards in response to situation resulting from the Tohoku- Pacific Ocean Earthquake in 2011” as shown in Annex 1. The topic has been discussed in the Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (Chaired by Koji Aizawa, Vice-president of Kitasato University). Today, based on the discussion, the Council issued a recommendation as shown in Annex 2 to the Minister of the Health, Labour and Welfare.
The Ministry of the Health, Labour and Welfare, in accordance with a recommendation from the Council, will revise the ministerial ordinance without delay.
Key points of the revision are as follows (See Annex 3 for details)
* In case of unavoidable emergency and in the case of responding to troubles designated by the Minister of the Health, Labour and Welfare, the dose limit of 250 mSv will be applied as exemption;
* The dose limit of 250 mSv will be applied to workers who have already been engaged in the emergency work at the revision date (1 November 2011)
*1 The full-face mask covers the eyes, nose, and mouth. There is also a half-face mask that only covers the nose and mouth.
*2 Proper fitting refers to the correct degree of contact between the respiratory protective equipment and the face of the person who wears it.
*3 The leak rates refer to the ratio of air in working environment leaked through the gap between the respirator and face into the air used for respiration. More specifically, the concentrations of dust inside and outside the mask are measured to determine the ratio.
*4 The powered air purifying respirator refers to a respiratory protective equipment operated by power to provide filtrated air.