Fukushima Workers Reach 100 Millisieverts of Radiation

Kyodo reports that 21 Fukushima workers have now reached the maximum worker radiation exposure level of 100 millisieverts (100 millisievers is the standard international max radiation allowed for workers- although Japan unilaterally raised their max safe levels to 250 milisieverts in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster). Two workers have now actually reached Japan's new increased limit of 250 millisieverts. Will it soon be time for Japan to initiate a radiation worker draft? That is likely to go over even better than the Vietnam draft.

From Kyodo:


TOKYO, April 30

As the nuclear crisis continues at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, two workers, who were previously hospitalized for possible radiation burns, turned out Saturday to have been exposed to radiation levels close to the limit of 250 millisieverts while seven women in affected areas were found with slightly contaminated breast milk.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the two workers have been exposed to 240.8 millisieverts and 226.6 millisieverts of radiation, respectively, when internal exposure is taken into account, among 21 workers exposed to over 100 millisieverts of external radiation since the crisis erupted following the March 11 quake and tsunami.

Under Japanese law, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has limited by an ordinance radiation exposure of each nuclear plant worker at 100 millisieverts a year in an emergency situation, but raised the limit to 250 millisieverts to cope with the Fukushima crisis on March 15.