They're already being dubbed the Fukushima Fifty: the men who are trading shifts to try to prevent the full meltdown of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear facility. On their shoulders rests the safety -- and perhaps the lives -- of thousands of Japanese citizens. When the facility's 800 employees were evacuated last week following the earthquake and tsunami, these were the men who stayed behind to try to cool down the reactors, to fight the fires and to prevent further explosions.
Some have said the only term to describe their work is a suicide mission. Others believe there is a good chance these men can still emerge from this work without any ill effects.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan offered a tribute to the men this week, saluting their efforts and courage.
"Those with TEPCO and related entities are working to pour water, making their best effort even at this moment, without even thinking twice about the danger," Kan said.
In a surprising move on Wednesday, Japan's Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare decided to raise the maximum radiation dose allowed for nuclear workers. It said the hike was needed to prevent the crisis at the power plant from worsening.
The workers are likely wearing full bodysuits and air packs to reduce the exposure. But Gundersen said some forms of radiation can penetrate any gear. Because so little information is being released, it's not clear whether the Fukushima Fifty have fully accepted the danger they're in.
Shan Nair, a British nuclear safety expert who was part of a panel that advised the European Commission on its response to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, tells Time.com that during the Chernobyl disaster, many first responders to the incident knew they faced certain death. But this situation may be different, he says. At Chernobyl, there was a massive explosion, and a resulting radioactive cloud. So far at Fukushima, even the spike of radiation being reported may not be fatal.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan offered a tribute to the men this week, saluting their efforts and courage: "Those with TEPCO and related entities are working to pour water, making their best effort even at this moment, without even thinking twice about the danger," Kan said.
In a surprising move on Wednesday, Japan's Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare decided to raise the maximum radiation dose allowed for nuclear workers. It said the hike was needed to prevent the crisis at the power plant from worsening.
The Ministry raised the maximum allowable exposure for nuclear workers to 250 millisieverts from 100 millisieverts. It described the move as "unavoidable due to the circumstances." Still, even at 250 mSv, that's still below the level at which people would show symptoms of radiation poisoning.
Shan Nair, a British nuclear safety expert who was part of a panel that advised the European Commission on its response to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, tells Time.com that during the Chernobyl disaster, many first responders to the incident knew they faced certain death. Nair says the helicopter pilots who dumped sand on the burning core at Chernobyl knew they were going to die. And in fact, all did die. But this situation may be different, he says. At Chernobyl, there was a massive explosion, and a resulting radioactive cloud. So far at Fukushima, even the spike of radiation being reported may not be fatal.
"We don't know what the radiation levels are inside the plant but reports of a 400 millisievert figure suggests that it's not a suicide mission for the 50 workers who have stayed. He notes that the rotation of shifts allows for "dose sharing" so that no one team of workers receives an unsafe dose for any longer than needed.
"It is still a risky operation, however," Nair added.
