Chapter V.  Emergency Measures

(Evacuation)

Article 42.  When an accident under any one of the following categories has occurred, the employer shall have the workers immediately evacuate the area in which the effective dose resulting from the accident may exceed 15 mSv.

(1)  The shield installed conforming to the provision of paragraph 1 of  Article 3-2 is broken in the middle of the handling of the radioactive substance or in the middle of irradiation using the radioactive substance, and the irradiation cannot be stopped immediately.

(2)  The local exhaust ventilation system or the emission source enclosure system installed conforming to the provisions of paragraph 1 of  Article 3-2 does not function properly due to faults or damage.

(3)  A great deal of radioactive substance has leaked, spilled or been scattered.

(4)  The radiation source loaded with the radioactive substance has fallen from the radiation source container or the radiation source taken out of its container has become unable to be returned into the housing due to the radiation source carrier device or the remote control system to control the position of the radiation source.

(5)  Accidents other than those described above.

2.  The employer shall put up a notice which indicates the existence of the areas described in the preceding paragraph.

3.  The employer shall not have workers enter into the areas as described in paragraph 1, provided that this shall not apply in respect to the case in which the employer has the workers engage in emergency work.

(Report on Accidents)

Article 43.  When there occur areas as provided for by paragraph 1 of the preceding Article, the employer shall submit a report to the chief of the Labour Standards Inspection Office with jurisdiction of the vicinity of the districts in which the workplace exists (hereafter called the Chief of the competent Labour Standards Inspection Office).

(Medical Examination, etc.)

Article 44.  The employer shall immediately have those workers falling under any one of the following categories receive the medical examination or treatment of a medical doctor.

(1)  Those who were in the area designated in paragraph 1 of Article 42 when any one of the accidents designated in the items of the said paragraph of the said article occurred.

(2)  Those who have been exposed to the effective dose or equivalent dose exceeding the limit specified in paragraph 1 of Article 4, or Article 5.

(3)  Those who accidentally inhaled or orally took in a radioactive substance.

(4)  Those who have been unable to reduce the contamination of their bodies to one tenth of the limit specified in the Attached Table by washing their bodies, etc.

(5)  Those with wounded parts of their bodies contaminated by a radioactive substance.

2.  When the employer finds the case in which there are workers falling in any items of preceding paragraph, he shall make a report on that fact to the Chief of the competent Labour Standards Inspection Office without delay.

(Measurement and Recording of Accidents)

Article 45.  When an accident falling in any one of the categories designated in the items of paragraph 1 of Article 42 has occurred, and the area designated in the said paragraph has come to exist as a result, the employer shall measure the effective dose and equivalent dose for eye lens and skin to which each of the workers present in the said area or each of those who have engaged in emergency work in the said area has been exposed, and make up the records of the following matters, and keep them on file for at least five years.

(1)  Time, date and place of the accident

(2)  Cause and condition of the accident

(3)  Condition of the impairments caused by the radiation

(4)  Emergency measures taken by the employer

2.  When the effective dose or equivalent dose is not known for those workers provided for in the preceding paragraph, the employer shall measure the dose equivalent rate due to the external radiation at the main spots in the area designated in paragraph 1 of Article 42, the concentration of the radioactive substances in the air or the surface density of the radioactive substances with the appropriate radiation measuring instruments and calculate the effective dose equivalent and equivalent dose defined in the preceding paragraph based on the result of the said calculation.

3.  When it is extremely difficult to measure the dose equivalent rate provided for in the preceding paragraph using the radiation measuring instrument, it may be determined by calculation, notwithstanding the provision of the said paragraph.