Countermeasures Derived From the Lessons of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

On March 11, 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) was hit by a tsunami caused by the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake, resulting in nuclear accidents in Units #1 to #4. With the aim of improving the safety of NPPs worldwide, we summarize the lessons that have been learned following a thorough analysis of the event and make specific proposals for improving the safety of such facilities. The author has been involved in investigating the causes of the accidents and developing countermeasures for other NPPs in Japan as a member of the Committee for the Investigation of Nuclear Safety of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan [1], an advisory meeting member of NISA with regard to technical lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accidents, and a Safety Evaluation Member of NISA for the other NPPs in Japan [2].