Concealment of trauma and occupational accidents among Fukushima nuclear disaster decontamination workers: A case report

Journal of Occupational Health
Toyoaki SawanoMasaharu Tsubokura

Abstract

Limited information exists concerning occupational risks in decontamination work after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. Workers involved tend to be migrant workers, face various health risks, and are usually from a low socioeconomic background and generally have difficulty in finding employment. We report a specific case to illustrate the way these workers tend to get injured during working hours and draw attention to the problems arising. A 59-year-old Japanese male decontamination worker was referred to our emergency department after a fall while he was working in an Exclusion Zone surrounding the FDNPP. He was blind in his right eye. He was diagnosed with traumatic multiple rib fractures and a tube thoracostomy was performed. He was discharged from hospital after 7 days. Payment has been changed from "occupational accident," which is required to be reported to the Local Labor Standards Office, to "general medical treatment" which is no obligation. Trauma or physical injury of any kind is an occupational hazard for workers, especially those operating in the chaotic and unpredictable environments following any disasters. Companies employing such workers and owners of any facilities or locations in wh...Continue Reading

References

Mar 23, 2005·Lancet·Michael Marmot
Jan 18, 2011·American Journal of Preventive Medicine·Jeffrey W BethelSloane C Burke
Feb 7, 2013·Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology·David B Waisel
Mar 17, 2016·QJM : Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians·Akihiko OzakiHiromichi Ohira
Mar 9, 2017·Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness·Akihiko OzakiHiromichi Ohira

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