Japanese Surgeon's Daily Life

Paint Shop

　　The paint shop stank with the smell of thinner or organic solvent. The following picture was shot just after coming back to my office after inspection. I took my safety work shoes off and I'm relaxed. I'm hanging a gas mask from my neck. Wearing this mask in the shop, the bad smell disappeared. The function of the mask was awful. In the shop, several workers were painting a huge object, which might be a part of a big structure, but I didn't figure out what it was. The workers were well protected from poisonous chemicals. My job is to check their working circumstances and detect the hidden danger. Their annual general health check is also my job. Most workers of this shop were young. I'd like to contribute to my company by keeping them healthy.

塗装工場ではシンナーの臭いが鼻についた。下の写真は巡視から帰ってきて靴を脱いでリラックスしているところ。首からぶら下げているのはガスマスク。これを付けるとシンナーの臭いをまったく感じなくなった。素晴らしい能力を持ったマスクだ。工場では数名の作業員が巨大な構造物（の一部）を塗装していた。もちろん、有機用剤の影響を避けるための防護はしっかりとなされていたが、彼らの作業環境を確認し、隠れている危険を察知することが僕に課せられている仕事。また、定期的に彼らの健康診断もしている。若い人が多かった。彼らが定年まで安全に健康に過ごせるよう頑張っていきたい。

Sandblasting Shop

　　I perceived directly the technology called sandblasting today. It's one of the polishing methods to blast small particles such as sand or something against the surface of the material. It naturally generates unnecessary dust which could cause dust pollution or health damage. The workers wear an airline respirator to avoid inhaling the room air and perform their task in a perfectly closed space. I inspected the scene today. When I visited the shop, their work had just started and I wasn't able to look at their work live. Their work condition is really harsh, but occupational hazards or accidents at work never happen. It's my present job to keep workers away from those misfortunes. Hearing the noise from their blasting work, I moved to the adjacent painting shop.

 

研摩工場

サンドブラストという技術を初めて知った。物質の表面に砂などの研摩材を吹き付ける加工法で、当然ながら粉塵が舞う。作業者はエアラインマスクを装着し、完全に閉じられた場所で作業を行う。今日はその現場を視察した。行ってみると、ちょうど作業が始まったばかりで中への立入は出来なかった。過酷な環境での仕事だが、絶対に健康障害を起こしてはならない。それが僕の今の仕事。サンドブラスト中の激しい音を聞きながら隣の塗装工場に移った。

35 Years After The Crash Of A Jumbo Jet In Japan

　　35 years have passed since the last passenger plane crash in Japan. I was living in Osaka as a first-year resident at that time. I started my career in April and knocked myself out. My colleges and I were allowed to go downtown for a party on the day for the first time. Just before the opening, a message from the office was passed down by one of my colleges who arrived a little late. (Smartphones didn't even exist yet on the globe in those days.)
　　We were told not to drink alcoholic beverages. A fully-occupied jumbo jet bound for Osaka from Tokyo had gone missing several dozen minutes before, and if the plane was found near Osaka, we would be some help for its passengers, even though we were green. I remember what happened on the day just like yesterday. 35 years as a general surgeon looks a long time, but it passed in a flash. As far as my physical strength lasts, I'll persist with health care for the public.

(Vocabulary)
persist with sth ＜…＞をあくまでもやり続ける
Anna persisted with her studies in spite of financial problems. アンナは経済的な問題にもかかわらず，くじけずに学問を続けた．

8/12 ジャンボジェット機墜落から35年
　日本で起こった最後の旅客機事故から今日で３５年になる。当時、僕は大阪で一年目の研修医生活を送っていた。４月から勤務し、毎日毎日仕事に追われ、８月１２日、職場の仲間で初めて飲みに出た日、乾杯の直前、遅れてやって来た仲間から病院からの指示が伝えられた。(当時は携帯電話という便利なものは無かった。）
　アルコールを控えるようにと言う指示だった。東京から大阪に向かっていたジャンボジェットの消息が途絶えた。救援依頼がいつ来るかもわからない。その日のことを昨日のことのように覚えている。あれから３５年。長いようであっという間の医師人生だった。これからも体力の続く限り、社会に貢献していきたいと思っている。