IAEA Fact-Minding Mission to Japan

Published Date: 23 June 2011

A team of international nuclear safety experts recently completed a preliminary assessment of the safety issues linked with TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident following the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011. The team - created by an agreement of the IAEA and Government of Japan - sought to identify lessons learned from the accident that can help improve nuclear safety around the world. Japanese media witness the first meeting of the IAEA fact-finding mission with Japanese officials at the Tokai nuclear power plant on 26 May 2011. IAEA fact-finding team leader Mike Weightman (right) and deputy team leader Philippe Jamet (centre) observe a briefing at the Tokai nuclear power plant on 26 May 2011. 26 May 2011. Members of the IAEA fact-finding team to Japan descend a ladder to the seawater intake pump area of the Tokai Daini nuclear power plant, where workers recently built a wall (right) at a much taller height than the previous water barriers. 26 May 2011. Members of the IAEA fact-finding team examine the seawater intake pumps at the Tokai nuclear power plant. IAEA fact-finding team members tour Japan's Tokai nuclear power plant on 26 May 2011. A Japanese official shows how high the tsunami rose at one part of Japan's Tokai nuclear power plant following a major earthquake on 11 March 2011. IAEA fact-finding team members toured the plant on 26 May 2011. 26 May 2011. IAEA fact-finding team members walk along a corridor flanked by electrical equipment at the Tokai Daini nuclear power plant. 26 May 2011. A member of the IAEA fact-finding team examines an earthquake- and tsunami-damaged structure near the seawater intake area at the Tokai nuclear power plant. 26 May 2011. IAEA fact-finding team leader Mike Weightman (standing) addresses the opening session of the team's visit to TEPCO's Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant on 26 May 2011. 26 May 2011. Members of the IAEA fact-finding team in Japan examine the diesel generator room at Unit 1 of TEPCO's Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant. The room was flooded by seawater during the 11 March tsunami, and Japanese workers have transferred the water into the containers shown. 26 May 2011. Mike Weightman surveys the seawater intake area of TEPCO's Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant in Japan. Mr. Weightman led a team on nuclear safety experts to Japan - from 22 May to 1 June 2011 - as part of a fact-finding team tasked with assessing the extent of the tsunami damage to affected nuclear facilities there. 26 May 2011. A visit to the technical support center of TEPCO's Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant was an important part of the team's itinerary. Workers at TEPCO's Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant prepare to scan the IAEA fact-finding team at the conclusion of their tour of the plant on 26 May 2011. Radiation scanning procedures were rigorously followed for all workers at the nuclear facilities visited by the team. Please remove your shoes before entering. Personnel at TEPCO's Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant work around the clock, and have established rest areas for weary staff at the emergency headquarters. IAEA fact-finding team members prepare to tour TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 27 May 2011. IAEA fact-finding team members prepare to tour TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 27 May 2011. IAEA fact-finding team members prepare enter TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 27 May 2011. On 27 May 2011, the IAEA fact-finding team, led by British nuclear expert, Mike Weightman, visited TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to assess first-hand the extent of the tsunami damage and gather nuclear safety lessons that could be learned from the accident. 27 May 2011. The IAEA fact-finding team gets a closer view of the damaged reactor of unit 3 of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power. Their on-site visit to the plant was an important part of activities aimed at assessing the extent of damage from the tsunami damage and to gather nuclear safety lessons that could be learned from the accident. Japanese workers have used the red giraffe, a pumping truck, to pump water into the spent fuel pool at Reactor Unit 4 at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 27 May 2011. IAEA fact-finding team members toured the plant on 27 May 2011. On 27 May 2011. Members of the IAEA fact-finding team in Japan visit the emergency diesel generator at reactor Unit 6 of TEPCO's Daiichi nuclear power plant. The generator was the only one to survive the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011. Members of the IAEA fact-finding team visit TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan on 27 May to examine the devastation brought about by the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011. IAEA fact-finding team members tour TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 27 May 2011. Here they are shown examining tsunami devastation near the seawater intake pumps. IAEA fact-finding team members tour TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 27 May 2011. Here they are shown examining tsunami devastation near the seawater intake pumps. IAEA fact-finding team members tour TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 27 May 2011. Here they visited the dry cask storage facility, still flooded with seawater following the 11 March earthquake and tsunami. Note the seaweed clinging to pipes and railings above. Japanese workers at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant prepare to enter the site's technical support centre on 27 May 2011. To keep the centre uncontaminated by outside radiation and debris, rigorous precautions are followed for all who enter or leave the facility. 27 May 2011. Mike Weightman, leader of a team of international safety experts visiting Japan on a fact-finding mission, speaks to workers at the technical support center of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. This center serves as operational headquarters for recovery efforts at the plant. Japanese workers at the technical support centre of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant welcome remarks by IAEA fact-finding team leader Mike Weightman on 27 May 2011. In shirtsleeves at left is plant manager Masao Yoshida.