Transition of occupational health issues associated with stabilization and decommissioning of the nuclear reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant through 2013.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the occupational health (OH) issues that arose, what actions were taken, and the OH performances during the disaster involving the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and thus improve the OH management system with respect to long-term decommissioning work and preparation for future disasters.


METHODS
We used information in advisory reports to the Tokyo Electric Power Company by an OH expert group, observation through support activities, and data officially released by the Tokyo Electric Power Company.


RESULTS
Occupational health issues transitioned as work progressed and seasons changed. They were categorized into OH management system establishment, radiation exposure control, heat illness prevention, infectious disease prevention and control, and fitness for workers' duties.


CONCLUSIONS
Occupational health management systems involving OH experts should be implemented to manage multiple health risks with several conflicts and trade-offs after a disaster.
From the University of Occupational and Environmental Health (Drs Mori, Tateishi, Kubo, Okazaki, Suzuki, Kobayashi, Hiraoka, Kiyomoto, and Kawashita), Kitakyushu; Hitachi Health Care Center, Hitachi, Ltd (Drs Hayashi and Takeda), Ibaraki; and The Institute for Science of Labour (Drs Yoshikawa and Sakai), Kawasaki, Japan.
Koji
K
Mori
Seiichiro
S
Tateishi
Tatsuhiko
T
Kubo
Ryuji
R
Okazaki
Katsunori
K
Suzuki
Yuichi
Y
Kobayashi
Koh
K
Hiraoka
Takeshi
T
Hayashi
Masaru
M
Takeda
Yoshifumi
Y
Kiyomoto
Futoshi
F
Kawashita
Toru
T
Yoshikawa
Kazuhiro
K
Sakai
D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D003666:Decontamination; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation