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bananas

(27,509 posts)
Tue Jan 20, 2015, 07:29 PM Jan 2015

Fukushima worker dies after falling into water storage tank

Source: Reuters

A worker at Japan's destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant died on Tuesday after falling inside a water storage tank, the latest in a spate of industrial accidents at the site of the March 2011 nuclear disaster, the world's worst since Chernobyl.

The death is the second in Fukushima in less than a year. Last week, labor inspectors warned the operator of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co., about the rise in accidents and ordered it to take measures to deal with the problem.

<snip>

Most workers inside the plant are contract laborers hired by multiple layers of construction companies. A Reuters investigation in 2013 found widespread labor abuses, including workers who said their pay was skimmed and that there was little scrutiny of working conditions at the plant.

"It's not just the number of accidents that has been on the rise. It's the serious cases, including deaths and serious injuries that have risen so we asked Tokyo Electric to improve the situation," said Katsuyoshi Ito, a local labor inspector overlooking the Fukushima power plant.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/20/us-japan-fukushima-labor-idUSKBN0KT05K20150120

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Fukushima worker dies after falling into water storage tank (Original Post) bananas Jan 2015 OP
Two workers die at separate Fukushima nuclear plants: Operator bananas Jan 2015 #1
I'm surprised they didnt say cause of death was drowning Elmer S. E. Dump Jan 2015 #10
Horrific. May that man rest in peace. Judi Lynn Jan 2015 #2
Sounds like OUR system Stephen Retired Jan 2015 #7
Infrastructure worker dies in Cincinnati bridge collapse Sopkoviak Jan 2015 #3
Guess you missed it. ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jan 2015 #4
". . . little scrutiny of working conditions at the plant . . ." Journeyman Jan 2015 #5
The story notes 3 deaths daleo Jan 2015 #6
Not sure which story you're reading FBaggins Jan 2015 #8
I meant those three deaths daleo Jan 2015 #11
K&R DeSwiss Jan 2015 #9

bananas

(27,509 posts)
1. Two workers die at separate Fukushima nuclear plants: Operator
Tue Jan 20, 2015, 07:31 PM
Jan 2015
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/two-workers-die-at-separate-fukushima-nuclear-plants-operator/articleshow/45950197.cms

Two workers die at separate Fukushima nuclear plants: Operator
By AFP | 20 Jan, 2015, 11.30AM IST

TOKYO: A worker at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant died today after falling into a water tank, the country's nuclear operator said, the second fatal accident to blight efforts to stabilise the tsunami-battered facility.

Separately today, another worker died because of an incident at the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant, which is located several kilometres (miles) south of the damaged plant, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said.

<snip>

 

Elmer S. E. Dump

(5,751 posts)
10. I'm surprised they didnt say cause of death was drowning
Wed Jan 21, 2015, 12:39 PM
Jan 2015

Instead of from radiation, which is a slow, excruciatingly painful way to go.

Judi Lynn

(160,545 posts)
2. Horrific. May that man rest in peace.
Tue Jan 20, 2015, 07:37 PM
Jan 2015

May Japan form laws which do protect workers.

Sounds like a soulless, rapacious system, which does need reform, regardless of how many at the top are making fortunes from it.

 

Sopkoviak

(357 posts)
3. Infrastructure worker dies in Cincinnati bridge collapse
Tue Jan 20, 2015, 07:50 PM
Jan 2015
The tragic case of the man killed in the Interstate 75 overpass collapse was closed relatively quickly, Cincinnati and Hamilton County officials said Tuesday.

Brandon Carl, 35, of Augusta, Kentucky, died when the Hopple Street overpass bridge suffered a "catastrophic pancake" collapse, according to the Hamilton County Coroner's office.


Maybe before we point fingers at Japan we ought to take care of our own problems.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/01/19/bridge-collapse-75-south/22031429/

ProudToBeBlueInRhody

(16,399 posts)
4. Guess you missed it.
Tue Jan 20, 2015, 07:56 PM
Jan 2015
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014992784

You're welcome.

Posting a story isn't "pointing fingers". And I think we can all walk and chew gum at the same time.

Journeyman

(15,036 posts)
5. ". . . little scrutiny of working conditions at the plant . . ."
Tue Jan 20, 2015, 08:24 PM
Jan 2015

Come now, what could possibly be wrong at a plant like this:

daleo

(21,317 posts)
6. The story notes 3 deaths
Tue Jan 20, 2015, 09:59 PM
Jan 2015

For one it says radiation wasn't a factor. For the other two, it doesn't say one way or another.

FBaggins

(26,748 posts)
8. Not sure which story you're reading
Wed Jan 21, 2015, 12:26 AM
Jan 2015

The article talks of two deaths at the Daichi plant in the past year. One when a worker fell 10 meters into an empty tank and one where a worker was crushed by gravel when a ditch he was digging collapsed. It would take quite an imagination to come up with a way for radiation to be a factor (not that such... hmmm... "creativity" is entirely lacking on DU).

A third incident (not reported here as a death, but perhaps elsewhere) explicitly said that radiation was not involved.

daleo

(21,317 posts)
11. I meant those three deaths
Wed Jan 21, 2015, 09:38 PM
Jan 2015

Well, radiation sickness can weaken the body, with accidents resulting. Not saying that happened - just pointing out that they didn't say anything about radiation one way or another, in regards to the first two deaths. Given the particular conditions under which the work was being carried out, I would have expected a reassurance about that.

 

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)
9. K&R
Wed Jan 21, 2015, 01:37 AM
Jan 2015
- It's a good thing to know that we've nothing to worry about here. Right, Mr. President?

''Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health experts do not recommend that people in the United States take precautionary measures beyond staying informed. And going forward, we will continue to keep the American people fully updated — because I believe that you must know what I know as President.'' - President Barack Obama, March 17, 2011 link


Multiple deaths at Fukushima nuclear plants – Worker dies after plunging over 30 feet into water tank – Another killed from severe head injury after caught in equipment – Tepco warned last week about soaring number of worker injuries

Huge radiation spike detected at Fukushima plant — Multiple records set near workers trying to stop nuclear waste flowing into ocean — Cesium up 7,500% this week

Fukushima released 13,000,000,000 times more neutrons than initially estimated — “Obvious implication for human health” — Gov’t: “Neutron radiation is the most severe and dangerous radiation” known to mankind; Can travel great distances

TV: “It’s like a scene from a horror movie” along West Coast — “We’re seeing all sorts of mysterious goings-on” — “There is no food out there” — Scientists can’t figure out why there’s mass starvation of seabirds — “This is a really serious thing” — “A species die-off is always unsettling” (VIDEO)

TV: Hawaii coral “the worst scientists have ever seen” — Professor: “It’s like a ghost town… We would not typically see entire colonies bleached, ever” — Gov’t map of ‘maximum bleaching alert area’ in Pacific mirrors Fukushima plume model since 2011 (VIDEO)

“Sea creatures sick, dying or disappearing at alarming rate all along Pacific coast… Some wonder if it’s fallout from Fukushima” — New York Times: “Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction” — Study: “We may be on precipice of major extinction event” in marine wildlife (VIDEO)

Who else is reading ENENews?

“I rely pretty heavily on ENENews, a great news aggregator” -Arnie Gundersen, former nuclear industry executive and engineer
“I check it on my phone all the time -- ENENews... from the beginning did an incredible job of gathering all these news sources” -Matt Noyes, professor at Meiji University in Tokyo
“I invite your readers to go on the internet and check out Energy News” -Paul C. Garner, attorney for U.S. military personnel taking on Tepco
“ENENews, my favorite website for this sort of thing” -John B. Wells, while hosting ‘Coast to Coast AM’ the #1 overnight radio program in U.S.

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