A female worker at Camp Zama who fell sick after doing disinfection work, which was not part of her regular cleaning tasks, is seen in Kanagawa Prefecture in this May 2021 photo. (Mainichi/Nami Takata)

       This May 2021 file photo shows U.S. Army post Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture. (Mainichi/Nami Takata)

       The medical certificate of the female worker who was recognized as being eligible for workers' compensation insurance is seen in Kanagawa Prefecture in this May 2021 photo. A description regarding a bleaching agent reads, "state of high concentration levels." (Mainichi/Nami Takata)

       YOKOHAMA -- A Japanese employee at Camp Zama, a U.S. Army post south of Tokyo, fell ill from inhaling bleach fumes during disinfection work that was not part of regular operations after she was designated as a "mission-essential" (ME) worker -- a case highlighting the burden faced by such employees.

       Japanese employees at U.S. military bases in Japan have been facing a new set of problems amid a sudden rise in cases where ME workers, who are deemed indispensable for maintaining military base activities during emergencies such as the spread of the coronavirus, are subjected to an increased load of tasks.

       The female worker at Camp Zama in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, was granted eligibility for compensation insurance after her case was recognized as a work-related accident.

       U.S. military guidelines specify that ME-designated workers who refuse to report to work can be dismissed, raising concerns among some employees. According to U.S. Forces Japan, the system of ME workers has been in place since September 2001, but the number of workers who were classified as mission-essential and the types of their jobs remain undisclosed.

       According to the All Japan Garrison Forces Labor Union's Sagamino branch, there were moves in Camp Zama from around 2017 and 2018, demanding that employees sign consent forms to be designated as ME workers. There were no actual reported cases of their operation around that time, but work orders for ME staffers have been issued frequently since March 2020, when the coronavirus spread in Japan.

       The aforementioned woman, a staffer in her 50s who cleaned the facilities of Camp Zama, signed the consent form and was designated as an ME worker around three to four years ago. When she signed the form, she asked whether there was a possibility that she would have to do disinfection work, as she was worried about being assigned tasks related to infectious diseases, and was apparently told by her American boss that she would only have to engage in "regular tasks."

       It was late March of 2020 that the woman's workplace was instructed to place their ME workers in operation. She was ordered to disinfect door knobs, handrails and other areas inside buildings, which was not part of her regular tasks, and was instructed to use bleach with a concentration of five times that of normally diluted agents on the grounds of "completely destroying the coronavirus." During her eight hours on duty a day, she was ordered to do the disinfection work seven to eight times.

       The woman, who began to suffer headaches and other symptoms, asked in mid-April to have the bleaching agent diluted more and to allow her to do the disinfection work fewer times a day. However, her boss brushed aside her request by saying, "There are no issues regarding the bleach's concentration," and "You're a mission-essential worker." The woman continued to be in a state of poor health, and a doctor diagnosed her with "inhalation of bleach (sodium hypochlorite)."

       Several colleagues of the woman have also complained of sickness, and the woman and one other co-worker were granted eligibility for workers' compensation. Afterwards, the All Japan Garrison Forces Labor Union received an email from the Defense Ministry -- the employer of the Japanese employees -- admitting that the bleach's concentration levels were "faulty." However, the woman received no explanation or apology from her boss, and expressed anger and dissatisfaction.

       While the system of ME workers has been operated in other military bases in Japan, it seems there are differences in their treatment. ME workers at military bases in Okinawa Prefecture have apparently been given the explanation that they will not be asked to do more than their regular operations.

       The Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) specifies that Japan's laws and regulations apply to Japanese workers employed inside U.S. military bases, and the Defense Ministry, which employs them, has the obligation to be considerate of their safety. In a March 2021 House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee session, then State Minister of Defense Yasuhide Nakayama said, "ME workers are positioned as personnel indispensable for maintaining the U.S. military's ability to take immediate action." He also explained that "it is important to eliminate the worries of employees," and expressed the intention to continue to make adjustments and confirm issues with the U.S. military.

       In response to a Mainichi Shimbun inquiry, the Defense Ministry stated, "We are demanding that the U.S. military in Japan provide a thorough explanation and take sufficient measures for employees. Employees have received the explanation that they will engage in duties while taking necessary safety measures, and that they will not be involved in combat."

       Meanwhile, Ai Kumaki, general secretary of the All Japan Garrison Forces Labor Union's Sagamino branch, finds it a problem that the range and nature of operations for ME workers are unclear. She expressed a sense of crisis, saying, "It's unknown how many people will be exposed to danger."

       Following a Mainichi Shimbun inquiry about the nature of the ME worker system, U.S. Forces Japan merely answered through documentation that it will ensure the safety of workers based on individual circumstances.

       Mamoru Fukuda, a lawyer familiar with labor issues at military bases, commented, "Guidelines on ME workers were decided one-sidedly by the U.S. military. In cases where they are exposed to danger, workers have the right to refuse to report to work. The Defense Ministry, which is their employer, should take this problem seriously."

       (Japanese original by Nami Takata, Yokohama Bureau)

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