Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) announced on Feb. 23 that it will check the resident status of any foreign workers involved in decommissioning work at its Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant and prevent anyone who is found to be a "Technical Intern Training Program" trainee from doing such work.

According to TEPCO, approximately 40 foreigners are currently working at the troubled nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture. To date, the company has checked all the passports of its foreign workers, but going forward, TEPCO plans to verify their IDs by checking the residence cards of such workers as well.

With regard to foreign trainees under the government-backed program whose aim is to transfer Japan's technology back to developing countries, a TEPCO executive said, "We have introduced restrictions in order to create an appropriate working environment," following consultation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Speaking on the matter, a former subcontractor explained that there were no cases of foreign trainees working at the Fukushima nuclear plant in the past.

TEPCO's new policy will become effective from April 1.