Essential gear for your next Nadia outing

You might be a volunteer veteran with in depth knowledge of the intricacies of recovery work. Then you might not need to read the following. If you are not and consider joining a Nadia trip for the first time, there is a need to keep in mind some basic principles of safety and the list of self-protection equipments that could help reduce the risks!

1)   Volunteer insurance is mandatory for everyone who joins NADIA field works. Instructions on how to apply are here. You can also apply for you and your group at your closest Ward Office.

2)  Waterproof boots. At least to the ankle but higher the better. Best to havesteel plate in the sole to avoid possible problems with nail piercing through the sole (we had one such accident already),

3)     Good facial masks (construction type mask). The ones with a little metal bar that you can pinch around your nose. Heavy duty is better since the air is dusty and may contain some asbestos particles. Expect to burn thru 4 or 5 over a weekend,

4)     Goggles for eye protection. A lot of crap gets splashed around and would be nasty getting that in the eye. The air is extremely dusty as well so simple sunglasses won’t do the trick,

5)     Head gear, preferably a hard construction type helmet,

6)     Extra-Large and strong rubber gloves that you can fit thin construction gloves underneath for added protection and seal the wrist. You can easily go through 2 to 3 pairs over the weekend,

7)   Extra strong cotton construction outfit. You can wear leggings or light sportswear underneath. Alternatively one of these Edano san type workman cotton outfit,

８)   Fatigues or light plastic covering to go over your top and pants or both (breathable stuff is better). Cheap transparent raincoats can do the trick.

9)   A Waist-bag instead of a back-pack, for better maneuver. You can keep in it your ID, money, medication, etc. in a fashionable “Ziploc” as well as an army knife, a mirror, hand cream, tiger balm (for your mask in case you discover a treasure of rotten fish), extra masks and a bottle of water.

10)  1st aid kit for the group  (band aids, stitch-like tape, gauze, reg. tape, antibiotic cream, scissors, pain killers, immodium, shippu (sore muscles patches), eye drops for washing,

11)    Your most beautiful pink pyjama, grand piano, or both for the night(s) in a nearby accomodation,

Since the environment in Ishinomaki is still unstable in many ways, and because you are going to handle dangerous pieces of debris, there is a high risk to get injured or to cause injury to others. ALWAYS be in alert and extremely CAREFUL when you are on the field. 

On top of these self protection items, you will have to handle some tools  to work efficiently. Many of these are provided by NADIA in Ishinomaki.  We do not need to bring any of these with us from Tokyo.

1)    A robust shovel. One per person is mandatory,

2)    A few claws (“pied de biche” in French) and crowbar (“barre a mine” in French) to help move stuck items or open up wooden parts. One for 2 or 3 people seems enough,

3)    A wheelbarrow (“brouette” in French) to carry debris to the nearby disposal location. One per group of 5 people is enough,

4)    Many industrial grade garbage bags. We are talking about the fiber re-enforce type able to contain 20 or 30 kgs or dirt, not the household type. Depending on the type of work, one person might need an average of 100 to 200 such bags per day.