The Yomiuri Shimbun
The cold really seeps in at night, but workers in the 35-square-meter main office and hallways sleep packed together like sardines. Some line up a few chairs to spend the night on.
TEPCO employees who were at the power station when the earthquake hit on March 11 worked 23-hour shifts for the first few days, with time for only a one-hour nap each day.
With radiation levels outside as high as ever, the workers have put lead sheets on the floor of the earthquake-resistant building they are staying in, reducing radiation inside to between two microsieverts and three microsieverts per hour.
Very high levels of radiation have been measured in puddles of water in the turbine buildings.
"I can't emphasize enough how important it is for workers to avoid those puddles" while carrying out their duties, said Kazuma Yokota, an inspection chief at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety agency who stayed five days at the plant last week. Most workers are rotated out regularly in shifts, "but it's difficult for the management to leave," he said.
After a meeting at night, everyone gathers around for a group cheer. "Let's do our best!" they cry out with a synchronized clap, trying to boost morale.
"Considering the importance of the work they're doing, they aren't getting enough support," said Tokyo Women's Christian University Prof. Hirotada Hirose, a specialist in disaster and risk psychology. "This situation where they're not getting enough food or sleep will make them less efficient and increase the possibility of mistakes."
Hirose said working conditions could be improved by providing nutritional supplements and vitamins, plus making sure the workers have enough sleeping bags.
(Mar. 30, 2011)
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