Tepco Employee 10x more Radioactive than safe levels

[Robbien]

Source: International Business Times

One of the few workers to be tested for radioactivity after March's nuclear disaster in Japan is exhibiting over 10 times the accepted levels .

The man, an employee of a company that works with TEPCO, installed power cables near a reactor building at the plant for a month beginning at the end of March.

While a normal internal radiation level would range from several hundred to 1,000 counts per minute , he was told his level was 30,000 cpm.

. . .

And although the masks worn by workers are supposed to be changed every three hours, he was told by a management that he did not have to change it if there was no radioactive contamination. He therefore used a single mask for five to six hours.

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/148782/20110519/tepco-employee-10x-more-radioactive-than-safe-levels.htm

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Not surprising they are not testing too many of the workers.

[Rex]

1. We knew this would happen.

TEPCO cutting corners at a time like this?

[Robbien]

3. A mask, what would that cost them, a couple of bucks?

If they wouldn't pony up for masks for the workers now, it is hard to believe they spent any money on safety before the disaster. All reactors everywhere must be severely under maintained.

[TheEuclideanOne]

4. Exactly. Just how amazing is that. I think that the next time you

are looking for an example of the extremes that companies will take on cutting costs, this one should come to mind. That to me, is really the most amazing part of the story. The fact that the guy is way above the norm was to be expected and these guys should be hailed as heros because they really know that this extremely important work is a death sentence for them. Not an instant death sentence either, but one that will end with prolonged suffering before death.

Also, if the normal is up to 1,000 and this guy was measuring at 30,000, that is 30 times the amount at the high end of the scale(not 10).

[boppers]

5. I looked at the math too, and came to a different conclusion.

Normal is 1,000
BUT High end could be 3,000
so 30,000 could be 10x.

[TheEuclideanOne]

6. Fair enough, you are probably right. It never really defines "Safe Level"

I was going with the statement below, but normal level is not the same as what a company might define officially as a "Safe Level"

"While a normal internal radiation level would range from several hundred to 1,000 counts per minute "

Either way, it is probably just splitting hairs. Either way, it is way above what the norm should be.

I must say that I am still shocked that the company skimped on the mask. Geez Louize.

[Robbien]

8. The president of Tepco just resigned

Not because the plant was poorly maintained and poorly run and its meltdown destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of Japanese

He resigned because Tepco had major losses for the quarter ended March 31st.


So it shouldn't be such a surprise he didn't want to purchase sufficient face masks for the people trying to cool down the destroyed reactor. There is no profit in it.

[wtbymark]

2. poor souls, brave people

[daleo]

7. It sounds like 30X to several hundredX

Not 10X.