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Press Release (Nov 01,2011)
Change to the Rules of Wearing Full Face Masks at the Site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

After the accident caused by Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyo-Oki Earthquake in
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on March 11, 2011, we have obliged
the workers to wear full face masks (including half face masks) in the
whole area of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station except in the Main
Anti-Earthquake Building or the rest places.

The density of the radioactive materials in the air of the power station
is gradually declining and it has stayed below our in-house standard* for
wearing the full face masks since last June until now.
Regarding such situation, in order to mitigate the inconvenience for the
workers, we reported today to Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA)
that we plan to permit the workers to omit wearing the masks in the
certain areas such as the places where they pass by vehicles to go to the
Anti-Earthquake Building. NISA confirmed that the changes in our operation
are reasonable. Therefore, we will start the operation from November 8
this year.

As a result of the effort for the recovery from the accident at Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station so far, the amount of the radioactive
materials released is steadily declining. We will endeavor to keep the
radiation dose greatly minimized (Step 2).

<The Contents in the Changes to Rules of Wearing Full Face Masks at
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station>
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(1) Exceptions to the obligation of wearing full face masks
•In the vehicles transporting between outside of Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Power Station Site and buildings such as Anti-earthquake
Building, between Anti-earthquake Building and Service Buildings of
Unit 5&6, between vehicles and Anti-earthquake Building to the entrance
of rest places in the Service Buildings of Unit 5&6
•Watch by the security guard at the main gate
•During transportation in order to take the procedures for entrance etc.
(2) Rules to omit the Use of full face masks
•Full face masks should always be carried
•Observation of the aerial radioactive materials by consecutive
measurement in the areas where the usage of full face masks are omitted
& Establishment of communication system in emergency
•Placement of signs which indicate the transportation vehicles in which
the full face masks can be omitted
__________________________________________________________________________

○Attachment
Image of change to the rules of wearing full face masks(PDF 13.5KB)

*In-house standard for wearing the full face masks
Our in-house standard for wearing the full face masks stipulates that
they should be used when the density of the aerial radioactive materials
exceeds1×10-4Bq/cm3. This value is no more than 1/10 of the density
of the aerial radioactive material I-131in the Notice of Exposure Dose
Limit based on the Regulation for Placement and Operation of Practical
Reactor for Power Generation.