Japanese physics lab ignores radiation leak

Asahi Shimbun : A radiation leak at a Japanese facility went unreported for about 30 hours after scientists there ignored alarms and continued with their work. According to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), the leak occurred on 23 May at the Hadron Experimental Facility at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. Scientists were bombarding gold with proton beams when the alarm sounded at 11:55am because the beam intensity had spiked to 400 times normal levels. The alarm was turned off and work resumed. Despite multiple stoppages throughout the day as radiation levels continued to surge, the scientists continued with the experiment. At 3:15pm a ventilator was turned on, which leaked radiation outside the facility. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority was not notified of the leak until 9:20pm the next day. The incident fuels accusations of lax safety oversight on the part of the JAEA.