#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: One Worker Died, Cause Unknown

From the tweet by NHK's Science and Culture Department (5/14/2011) about an hour ago:

【東電で作業員が死亡】けさ７時前、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所で機材を運んでいた６０代の作業員の男性が体調不良を訴えて病院に運ばれ、その後、死亡しました。(5/14)

A worker in his 60s who was carrying the equipment in TEPCO Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant fell ill today before 7:00AM today. He was taken to the hospital but later died.

東 京電力によりますときょう午前６時５０分頃、福島第一原発の敷地内にある「集中廃棄物処理施設」で配管を切断する機材を運んでいた協力企業の６０代の男性 が体調不良を訴えました。男性はいわき市の病院に搬送されましたが、午前９時半すぎに死亡しました。

According to TEPCO, a worker from a TEPCO's affiliate company fell ill at about 6:50AM (JST) while he was carrying the pipe-cutting equipment in the Central Waste Processing Facility in the compound of Fukushima I Nuke Plant. He was taken to the hospital in Iwaki City, but he died around 9:30AM.

東京電力によりますと男性に放射性物質は付着していな いということです。男性はきのうから機材の運搬作業を担当していたということで、きょうは午前９時まで３時間にわたって作業にあたる予定だったということ です。

There was no radioactive material found on the worker, according to TEPCO. The worker had been assigned to transporting the equipment since yesterday, and he was scheduled to work for three hours from 6 to 9AM today.

近くで働いていた作業員の話によりますと、現場では上下の長袖の下着の上に、防護服やマスクを付けて作業をしていて、暑さを訴える人が多く、きのう も１人が体調不良を訴えていたということです。東京電力によりますと今回の福島第一原発の事故のあとに復旧作業にあたっていた作業員が死亡したのは初めて で、東京電力などで当時の詳しい状況を調べています。

At the plant, the workers wear long-sleeve shirts and long underpants underneath the protective suits. They also wear masks. Many suffer heat exhaustion. According to the workers who were working near the worker who died, another worker had fallen ill yesterday due to the heat. It is the first time any worker died while carrying out the work to restore the plant, and TEPCO is investigating the situation.

Kyodo News Japanese (headline only) says he fell ill, and was unconscious when he was transported to the hospital.

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A bit more details from Mainichi Shinbun (11:26AM JST 5/14/2011):

男性の同日の被ばく線量は０．１７ミリシーベルトで、想定外に高い値ではなかった。放射性物質の体への付着はなかった。同７時過ぎに医務室に運ばれた時点 で意識、呼吸ともなかった。けがなどの外傷はないという。男性は１３日から同原発での勤務を開始し、この日が２日目。勤務シフトは午前６～９時だった。

The radiation exposure of the worker today was 0.17 millisievert, which was not exceptionally high. There was no radioactive material on him. When he was carried to the on-site doctor's office at 7:00AM, he was unconscious and he was not breathing. There was no external trauma. He started to work at the plant on May 13, and this was his second day. His work shift was from 6 to 9 AM.

当時、男性は防護服とマスクを着用し、２人１組で排水処理の関連作業として、配管を切断する電動ノコギリを同施設の２階から１階に移す作業の途中だった。

He was wearing the protective suits and the mask, and as part of the work to process the contaminated water [in the Central Waste Processing Facility] he was carrying the electric saw from the 2nd story of the facility to the 1st floor with a co-worker.

　同施設は、２号機のトレンチ（トンネル）やタービン建屋地下などにある高濃度の放射性汚染水を一時的に貯蔵している。１～４号機の共用施設で、事故前は各号機から出る汚染水の処理をしていた。

The facility is being used as the temporary storage for the highly contaminated water from the Reactor 2 trench and turbine building. Before the accident, this was the shared facility for the Reactors 1 through 4, processing the contaminated water from the reactors.

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