ID :
55285
Tue, 04/14/2009 - 08:22
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/55285
The shortlink copeid
Data falsification found at 2 nuclear plants built by Hitachi+
TOKYO, April 13 Kyodo - Hitachi Ltd. said Monday it has discovered that data was falsified in
connection with equipment at two nuclear power plants in Shizuoka and Shimane
prefectures, but shrugged off any safety concerns.
The falsified data relate to the heat-treatment process undertaken by another
company on the pipe weld of moisture separator heaters, which increase the
power plant's thermal efficiency by removing moisture from the steam that goes
to turbines and heating it, Hitachi and its group company said.
Hitachi admitted that the equipment for the No. 5 reactor of Chubu Electric
Power Co.'s Hamaoka plant in Shizuoka Prefecture and the No. 3 reactor of
Chugoku Electric Power Co.'s Shimane plant in Shimane Prefecture do not meet
its specifications but said ''there is no problem with its material or
safety.'' The No. 3 reactor is under construction.
Hitachi is checking if there were any similar incidents of data falsification
in connection with 17 other nuclear reactors built by the company.
Hitachi outsourced the heat treatment work, which was intended to make the
pipes more resistant to cracking, to Japan Industrial Testing Co.
Although Hitachi was reprimanded by the government in 1997 over a similar
incident involving a subcontractor, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
instructed Hitachi and Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd., an entity created
through the merger of the nuclear businesses of the electrical machinery maker
and U.S. technology conglomerate General Electric Co., to investigate whether
other incidents of falsification had occurred and to submit plans to prevent a
recurrence.
During the work, the temperatures of the pipes dropped faster than set criteria
because of inappropriate management of the temperature, but the data were
erased from records using a bleaching agent, according to Hitachi, its group
company and other sources.
The incident at the Shimane reactor occurred last December when a person in
charge of the work wrongly operated the heat treatment equipment and failed to
quickly notice the irregularity, they said.
The person in charge was quoted as saying, ''If (the mistake had been) found, I
would have had to do the heat treatment process again at the year-end when I
was supposed to be off. I didn't want to do that.''
An official at Japan Industrial Testing apologized over the matter and vowed
that the company will train its employees appropriately. Hitachi has also
apologized and said that it will work to prevent a recurrence.
Hitachi started to investigate the matter after Chugoku Electric Power found
possible data falsification related to the heat treatment work of the Shimane
plant's No. 3 reactor in March.
==Kyodo
connection with equipment at two nuclear power plants in Shizuoka and Shimane
prefectures, but shrugged off any safety concerns.
The falsified data relate to the heat-treatment process undertaken by another
company on the pipe weld of moisture separator heaters, which increase the
power plant's thermal efficiency by removing moisture from the steam that goes
to turbines and heating it, Hitachi and its group company said.
Hitachi admitted that the equipment for the No. 5 reactor of Chubu Electric
Power Co.'s Hamaoka plant in Shizuoka Prefecture and the No. 3 reactor of
Chugoku Electric Power Co.'s Shimane plant in Shimane Prefecture do not meet
its specifications but said ''there is no problem with its material or
safety.'' The No. 3 reactor is under construction.
Hitachi is checking if there were any similar incidents of data falsification
in connection with 17 other nuclear reactors built by the company.
Hitachi outsourced the heat treatment work, which was intended to make the
pipes more resistant to cracking, to Japan Industrial Testing Co.
Although Hitachi was reprimanded by the government in 1997 over a similar
incident involving a subcontractor, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
instructed Hitachi and Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd., an entity created
through the merger of the nuclear businesses of the electrical machinery maker
and U.S. technology conglomerate General Electric Co., to investigate whether
other incidents of falsification had occurred and to submit plans to prevent a
recurrence.
During the work, the temperatures of the pipes dropped faster than set criteria
because of inappropriate management of the temperature, but the data were
erased from records using a bleaching agent, according to Hitachi, its group
company and other sources.
The incident at the Shimane reactor occurred last December when a person in
charge of the work wrongly operated the heat treatment equipment and failed to
quickly notice the irregularity, they said.
The person in charge was quoted as saying, ''If (the mistake had been) found, I
would have had to do the heat treatment process again at the year-end when I
was supposed to be off. I didn't want to do that.''
An official at Japan Industrial Testing apologized over the matter and vowed
that the company will train its employees appropriately. Hitachi has also
apologized and said that it will work to prevent a recurrence.
Hitachi started to investigate the matter after Chugoku Electric Power found
possible data falsification related to the heat treatment work of the Shimane
plant's No. 3 reactor in March.
==Kyodo
