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Workers' radiation exposure at Japanese nuclear facilities

(2003)

In July this year (2004) the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) released figures relating to the radiation doses received by workers at Japanese nuclear facilities during the 2003 business year (April 2003 - March 2004). The report is entitled Situation Regarding Management of Radioactive Waste and Management of Radiation Doses of Workers in Radiation-Related Industries (our translation).

As can be seen from the first chart, total doses increased compared to 2002. It was pointed out at the April 2002 Meeting of Contracting Parties under the Convention on Nuclear Safety that radiation doses in Japan were the highest in the world. Nothing in the latest figures would suggest that Japan will be able to report an improvement at the next meeting, which is to be held in 2005.

In the total increase of 11.7 person-sieverts, there was an increase of 11 person-sieverts at Boiling Water Reactors alone. The major cause was continuing work flowing from the TEPCO cover-ups revealed in 2002. This work included such things as inspections and the replacement of shrouds and recirculation pipes.

Comparing the NISA figures for the 15-20mSv and the 20-25mSv ranges with data compiled for nuclear power plant workers by the Radiation Effects Association, we see that the latter estimates are much higher. The REA estimates were 1,038 (15-20mSv) and 6 (20-25mSv) NPP workers respectively. This is because they take into account the fact that some people worked at more than one nuclear power plant.

As always, subcontractor workers bore the overwhelming bulk of the total dose and represented the overwhelming majority of the workers exposed

Mikiko Watanabe (CNIC)

Annual Exposure at Nuclear
Power Plants 1991-2003
Nuclear Power Plants 2003 Reprocessing Plants 2003
Nuclear Waste Facilities Fuel Processing Facilities

Annual Worker Exposure at Nuclear Power Plants 1991-2003 (including Fugen and Monju)

Year
Total Exposure (person sieverts)
Number of People
Power Company
Sub-contractors
Total
Power Company
Sub-contractors
Total
1991
2.86
56.06
58.92
6,646
50,597
57,243
1992
2.92
63.53
66.45
7,002
56,806
63,808
1993
2.98
86.4
89.38
7,692
63,588
71,280
1994
2.66
64.63
67.29
8,030
62,456
70,486
1995
2.97
63.87
66.84
8,111
62,354
70,465
1996
3.15
69.32
72.47
8,357
63,739
72,096
1997
3.2
80.33
83.53
8,455
66,073
74,528
1998
3.23
71.81
75.04
8,303
59,959
68,262
1999
3.23
81.33
84.56
8,406
63,274
71,680
2000
3.31
77.93
81.24
8,499
60,290
68,789
2001
3.53
76.47
80
8,540
57,420
65,960
2002
3.55
81.62
85.17
8,394
57,400
65,794
2003
3.86
93
96.87
8,550
59,813
68,362

Worker Exposure at Nuclear Power Plants in 2003

NPP Name
Category
Distribution of exposure (people)
Total Exp.
Avg. Exp.
Max. Exp.
~ 5mSv
5~10mSv
10~15mSv
15~20mSv
20~25mSv
25mSv ~
(person Sv)
(mSv/person)
(mSv)
Tokai
EPCO
292
0
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.0
0.1
Sub-con.
694
0
0
0
0
0
0.02
0.0
2.7
Total
986
0
0
0
0
0
0.02
0.0
2.7
Tokai II
EPCO
396
0
0
0
0
0
0.21
0.5
4.1
Sub-con.
3,298
123
8
0
0
0
3.02
0.9
13.1
Total
3,694
123
8
0
0
0
3.23
0.8
13.1
Tsuruga
EPCO
422
1
0
0
0
0
0.21
0.5
5.5
Sub-con.
3,283
106
5
2
0
0
3.07
0.9
17.6
Total
3,705
107
5
2
0
0
3.28
0.9
17.6
Onagawa
EPCO
407
0
0
0
0
0
0.08
0.2
3.3
Sub-con.
2,158
91
52
23
0
0
2.64
1.1
19.0
Total
2,565
91
52
23
0
0
2.72
1.0
19.0
Fukushima I
EPCO
879
42
0
0
0
0
0.97
1.0
9.9
Sub-con.
7,438
936
421
193
0
0
21.66
2.4
19.4
Total
8,317
978
421
193
0
0
22.63
2.3
19.4
Fukushima II
EPCO
628
1
0
0
0
0
0.19
0.3
5.9
Sub-con.
5,363
421
169
18
0
0
8.24
1.4
19.8
Total
5,991
422
169
18
0
0
8.43
1.3
19.8
Kashiwazaki Kariwa
EPCO
983
9
2
0
0
0
0.53
0.5
14.1
Sub-con.
5,385
478
290
178
0
0
13.78
2.2
19.7
Total
6,368
487
292
178
0
0
14.31
2.0
19.7
Hamaoka
EPCO
708
6
0
0
0
0
0.44
0.6
9.7
Sub-con.
3,543
390
289
118
0
0
10.61
2.4
19.2
Total
4,251
396
289
118
0
0
11.05
2.2
19.2
Shika
EPCO
272
2
0
0
0
0
0.10
0.4
6.8
Sub-con.
1,801
186
32
16
0
0
3.25
1.6
18.0
Total
2,073
188
32
16
0
0
3.36
1.5
18.0
Shimane
EPCO
331
7
0
0
0
0
0.29
0.9
9.1
Sub-con.
2,226
210
63
8
0
0
4.01
1.6
17.2
Total
2,557
217
63
8
0
0
4.30
1.5
17.2
Tomari
EPCO
301
0
0
0
0
0
0.05
0.2
4.2
Sub-con.
1,626
28
7
1
0
0
1.24
0.8
15.2
Total
1,927
28
7
1
0
0
1.30
0.7
15.2
Mihama
EPCO
403
1
0
0
0
0
0.12
0.3
5.2
Sub-con.
2,810
102
8
0
0
0
2.68
0.9
13.5
Total
3,213
103
8
0
0
0
2.80
0.8
13.5
Takahama
EPCO
473
3
0
0
0
0
0.15
0.3
5.4
Sub-con.
3,149
220
35
3
0
0
4.63
1.4
16.4
Total
3,622
223
35
3
0
0
4.77
1.2
16.4
Ohi
EPCO
485
2
1
0
0
0
0.22
0.5
10.2
Sub-con.
2,740
227
57
13
0
0
4.81
1.6
18.6
Total
3,225
229
58
13
0
0
5.03
1.4
18.6
Ikata
EPCO
400
1
0
0
0
0
0.09
0.2
5.8
Sub-con.
2,254
108
28
2
0
0
2.62
1.1
17.5
Total
2,654
109
28
2
0
0
2.71
1.0
17.5
Genkai
EPCO
461
0
0
0
0
0
0.06
0.1
3.9
Sub-con.
2,802
130
3
0
0
0
2.73
0.9
12.0
Total
3,263
130
3
0
0
0
2.79
0.8
12.0
Sendai
EPCO
247
4
1
0
0
0
0.09
0.4
10.3
Sub-con.
1,845
182
45
2
0
0
3.59
1.7
15.9
Total
2,092
186
46
2
0
0
3.68
1.6
15.9
Total Commercial
EPCO
8,088
79
4
0
0
0
3.80
0.5
14.1
Sub-con.
52,415
3,938
1,512
577
0
0
92.60
1.6
19.8
Total
60,503
4,017
1,516
577
0
0
96.41
1.4
19.8
Fugen
EPCO
143
1
0
0
0
0
0.06
0.4
5.4
Sub-con.
684
15
2
0
0
0
0.40
0.6
11.2
Total
827
16
2
0
0
0
0.46
0.5
11.2
Monju
EPCO
234
0
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.0
0.0
Sub-con.
670
0
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.0
0.0
Total
904
0
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.0
0.0
Grand Total
EPCO
8,465
80
4
0
0
0
3.86
0.5
14.1
Sub-con.
53,769
3,953
1,514
577
0
0
93.00
1.6
19.8
Total
62,234
4,033
1,518
577
0
0
96.87
1.4
19.8

Worker Exposure at Reprocessing Plants in 2003

Plant Name
Category
Distribution of exposure (people)
Total Exp.
Avg. Exp.
Max. Exp.
~ 5mSv
5~10mSv
10~15mSv
15mSv ~
(person Sv)
(mSv/person)
(mSv)
Tokai-mura
Repro. Co.
492
0
0
0
0.05
0.1
4.3
Sub-con.
1,614
3
0
0
0.15
0.1
6.2
Total
2,106
3
0
0
0.2
0.1
6.2
Rokkasho
Repro. Co.
618
0
0
0
0.04
0.1
3.8
Sub-con.
3,369
46
1
0
1.84
0.5
10.1
Total
3,987
46
1
0
1.88
0.5
10.1
Total
Repro. Co.
1,110
0
0
0
0.09
0.1
4.3
Sub-con.
4,983
49
1
0
1.99
0.4
10.1
Total
6,903
49
1
0
2.08
0.3
10.1

Worker Exposure at Nuclear Waste Facilities in 2003

Facility Name
Category
Distribution of exposure (people)
Total Exp.
Avg. Exp.
Max. Exp.
~ 5mSv
5mSv ~
(person Sv)
(mSv/person)
(mSv)
Rokkasho Waste Burial Facility
Company
64
0
0.00
0.0
0.0
Sub-con.
119
0
0.00
0.0
0.1
Total
183
0
0.00
0.0
0.1
Rokkasho Waste Management Facility
Company
198
0
0.00
0.0
0.2
Sub-con.
485
0
0.00
0.0
0.0
Total
683
0
0.00
0.0
0.2
JAERI Tokai Waste Burial Facility
Company
0
0
0.00
0.0
0.0
Sub-con.
0
0
0.00
0.0
0.0
Total
0
0
0.00
0.0
0.0
JAERI Oarai Waste Management Facility
Company
22
0
0.00
0.0
0.7
Sub-con.
244
0
0.02
0.1
1.4
Total
266
0
0.02
0.1
1.4
Total
Company
284
0
0.00
0.0
0.7
Sub-con.
848
0
0.02
0.1
1.4
Total
1,132
0
0.02
0.1
1.4

Worker Exposure at Nuclear Fuel Processing Plants in 2003

Plant Name
Category
Distribution of exposure (people)
Total Exp.
Avg. Exp.
Max. Exp.
~ 5mSv
5mSv ~
(person Sv)
(mSv/person)
(mSv)
Global Nuclear Fuel
Company
346
0
0.01
0.3
4.5
Sub-con.
295
0
0.03
0.1
1.4
Total
641
0
0.13
0.2
4.5
Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel
Company
274
0
0.11
0.4
3.6
Sub-con.
80
0
0.03
0.3
2.8
Total
354
0
0.13
0.4
3.6
Nuclear Fuel Industries, Tokai
Company
219
0
0.07
0.3
3.0
Sub-con.
100
0
0.00
0.0
0.4
Total
319
0
0.07
0.2
3.0
Nuclear Fuel Industries, Kumatori
Company
254
0
0.05
0.2
2.4
Sub-con.
217
0
0.02
0.1
2.4
Total
471
0
0.08
0.2
2.4
JNC Ningyo Toge Uranium Enrichment Facility
Company
69
0
0.00
0.0
0.1
Sub-con.
171
0
0.00
0.0
0.5
Total
240
0
0.00
0.0
0.5
Rokkasho Uranium Enrichment Facility
Company
160
0
0.01
0.0
1.0
Sub-con.
364
0
0.01
0.0
1.1
Total
524
0
0.01
0.0
1.1
Total
Company
1,322
0
0.34
0.3
4.5
Sub-con.
1,227
0
0.09
0.1
2.8
Total
2,549
0
0.42
0.2
4.5

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