3rd Worker Died at Fukushima I Nuke Plant, Cause Unknown

and there is no warm underwear for the workers.

But first, about the 3rd death.

Jiji Tsushin (10/6/2011) relates the news almost in passing. The main part of the news is that TEPCO will try activating the neutron sensors inside the Reactor Pressure Vessel of Reactor 2 (there are 124 of them) and do the same in Reactor 3, and other reactor-related topics.

Then, at the end,

一方東電は、同原発で放射能汚染水の貯蔵タンク関連の作業をしていた50代の男性作業員が5日に体調不良を訴え、6日に死亡したと発表した。男性は8月から働いており、累積被ばく量は約2ミリシーベルト。東電は、被ばくと死因との因果関係は考えにくいが、死亡診断書で確認するとしている。作業員の死者は計 3人となった。　

TEPCO also announced that a worker in his 50s fell ill on October 5 and died on October 6. The worker was doing the work around the storage tanks for the contaminated water at the plant. He had been working since August, and his cumulative radiation exposure was about 2 millisieverts. TEPCO said it was hard to believe his radiation exposure had something to do with his death, but the company would confirm in the death certificate. The total number of deaths among the plant workers are now three.

The first worker died of a heart attack in May, while he was carrying heavy equipment on foot to build the contaminated water processing facilities. The second one died of acute leukemia in August after working for one week doing radiation control for the workers in the headquarter building on the plant. They were both hired by the subcontractors several degrees removed from TEPCO. I wonder if they had any written employment contract. Probably not.

The worker who tweets from Fuku I says it's been very cold at the plant, and the workers are trying to stay warm by doubling the tyvek suits or wearing parkas. TEPCO is telling them not to do it because TEPCO is running out of money. He is wondering if TEPCO will provide warm underwear for the workers, but in case it doesn't, he says he will buy for himself a warm jacket.

Fukushima Prefecture will get 50 billion yen from the national government for the "recovery" projects including a world-class cancer hospital, but not a yen to spare for the lowly plant workers.

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