More on the Decon Worker Who Died on Site: "Nothing to Do with Radiation/Decon", Says Government

According to the latest in the NHK News, the worker was cleaning out the side drains at the district assembly hall in the morning. (For my report from the press conference yesterday, see my post here.)

I just hate to think how radioactive the sludge was. There is no indication that the government (this project was government-planned and funded and directed) had measured the density of the soil or sludge that it was requesting the workers to remove.

The decontamination technology for that kind of operation in Japan is hand, shovel, trowel, and sandbag.

Beyond criminal, and all the spokesman said in the yesterday's press conference was "We don't know the details, but the death is definitely not caused by the radiation, and it has nothing to do with the decontamination work".

Just to remind you that their definition of a death by the radiation for this government and TEPCO is an acute radiation poisoning which knocks out a person in an instant of the exposure to the radiation source.

Furthermore, when he said the death had nothing to do with the decon work, he had to clarify upon being further questioned by a reporter. All he meant was that the worker didn't die while he was doing the decon work.

I watched the press conference yesterday. The unease of the government spokesman was exceptional. At times, he simply couldn't even speak, trying to find appropriate words to say.

With these in mind, here's NHK Japanese (11:18PM JST 12/12/2011):

福島県伊達市で除染作業をしていた６０歳の男性が、車の中で倒れているのが見つかり、死亡が確認されました。男性の死亡原因について内閣府は「除染作業と関係はない」としています。

A 60-year-old man was found collapsed in a car and confirmed dead. He was doing the decontamination work in Date City in Fukushima Prefecture. The Cabinet Office [which planned the work] says the death "has nothing to do with the decontamination work".

内閣府と警察によりますと、１２日午後１時ごろ、福島県の伊達市下小国地区で宮城県の建設会社に勤めている６０歳の男性が車の中で倒れているのが見つかり、病院に運ばれましたが、およそ１時間後に死亡が確認されました。男性は、下小国地区にある集会場近くで午前中から国が委託して行っている除染活動に参加し、側溝の泥を集める作業をしたあと、会社の車の中で昼食をとっていたということです。内閣府は「男性の死亡原因と除染作業に関係はない」としていますが、詳しい理由は明らかにしていません。

According to the Cabinet Office and the Police, a 60-year-old man was found collapsed in a car in Shimo-Oguni District of Date City in Fukushima Prefecture at around 1PM on December 12. The man worked for a construction company in Miyagi Prefecture. He was taken to a hospital, but was confirmed dead about an hour later. The man participated in the decontamination work assigned by the national government near the district assembly hall in the morning. He scooped the sludge in the side drains, and then he was eating lunch in the company car, it was reported. The Cabinet Office says "The cause of death has nothing to do with the decontamination work", without revealing the details.

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