More workers getting injured (2)

May 1, 2015

Worker injuries double at Fukushima plant; TEPCO cites inexperience

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201505010037

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

One worker died and 63 others were injured in industrial accidents at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in fiscal 2014, double the casualty figure from a year earlier, the plant operator said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said April 30 that about half of the injured workers in fiscal 2014 had worked at the crippled plant for less than six months, indicating that inexperience was a key factor behind the rise in labor accidents during decommissioning and other work.

TEPCO said 32 workers were involved in labor accidents at the plant in fiscal 2013.

The utility said it will improve training facilities and information-sharing mechanisms at the plant.

Six of the workers suffered serious injuries that prevented them from working for at least 14 days. Another six were sidelined for between one and 13 days because of their injuries.

Overall, 15 workers suffered from heatstroke, 13 fell or stumbled, and 13 had mishaps with machinery and other equipment.

TEPCO pointed to an inability of its workers to learn from their experiences as a potential factor behind the increase in accidents. Company employees also failed to visit work sites on a sufficient number of occasions to supervise other workers, it said.