Design of a stand-alone protective working suit for the Fukushima site

The society Sperian Protection Clothing has developed a protective suit specially designed for the workers on the Fukushima site. The contamination on the Fukushima site is characterized by: -) a very high radiation level (for instance 400 mSv/h around the reactor 4 in March 2011; -) an important liquid and atmospheric contamination involving alpha emitters; -) the presence of I129 and I137 under molecular and organic forms (1.3*1018 decays/s for reactors 1,2 and 3); -) the presence of Cs134 and Cs137 (from 1.3 to 6.1*1017 decays/s for reactors 1, 2 and 3). In order to meet these harsh working conditions the new protective clothing meets the following specifications. It is a pressurized, stand-alone ventilated protective suit that is tight to liquids and solid particles in air-born contamination. The suit is fit for works on dismantling sites: high resistance to abrasion, to cutting edges of concrete chunks.... Safety shoes and safety helmet are integrated into the suit. The suit has a 4 hour long self-sufficiency, a minimized weight and an integral ventilation to reduce the thermal stress when working in the hot season of Fukushima. (A.C.)