Japan Nuclear Watchdog Warns Against Complacency
The head of Japan's nuclear watchdog is urging staff to keep up the current safety measures and to prepare to face unexpected obstacles.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority was launched the year after the disaster.
Since then, it's been monitoring decommissioning work and efforts to prevent another catastrophic failure.
The chair is worried that the new rules are becoming rigid and don't allow for a flexible response.
Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Fuketa Toyoshi said, "The fight for safety is a battle to reduce the number of unexpected incidents. It is essential to always keep your mind fresh and ready for battle. If you're only relying on what people have experienced before, you cannot prevent severe accidents."
Fuketa warned against reviving the so-called "safety myth," referring to the idea that officials didn't properly prepare for what happened on March 11 because they didn't think it could ever happen.