Toyota and Lexus radiation testing

This includes between 20 and 30 used cars

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is responding to concerns expressed by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) that its members will be exposed to radiation.

ARPANSA spokesman David Tredinnick said the agency will board the Trans Future 7 when it docks in Port Kembla to test for any radioactivity in a shipment of 800 cars from the port of Yokohama, Japan.

"This inspection is being made to reassure stevedores after concerns from the MUA that as many as 30 of the cars are used vehicles they may possibly have originated from the tsunami and nuclear affected areas," he said.

Mr Tredinnick said ARPANSA is undertaking monitoring of potentially contaminated cargo ships simply as a precaution.

"These concerns have risen after the discovery of low levels of radioactivity in cars recently shipped from Yokohama," he said. MUA assistant national secretary Warren Smith said there needed to be a more rigorous testing regime put in place.

"We've been lobbying for this and we think that not enough has been done, we're of the view that there needed to be a fairly stringent process for testing," he said. "All we want to know is that they are safe and there is appropriate documentation and proof is available," he said. "All we wanted was a commitment and guarantee that any form of cargo is safe, it's not an unreasonable question for people on the job," he said.

Shipping company Toyofuji were contacted about the cargo of its Trans Future 7 ship but refused to comment. Toyota Australia has 645 new Toyota and 55 new Lexus vehicles on board the Trans Future 7 cargo ship.

Toyota spokesperson Laura Hill said the company had been in contact with ARPANSA, which said it was not considered necessary to introduce radiation screening measures on cargo from Japan.

"To provide the unions with peace of mind they have agreed to conduct some spot checks on the ship arriving in Port Kembla on June 23. They (ARPANSA) believe that there is low-level chance that it will be an issue, but they want to provide peace of mind for the dock workers," she said.

Japanese brand importers said none of the vehicles brought into Australia had shown any radiation contamination, having been tested by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association prior to being loaded in Japan.

Subaru national corporate affairs manager David Rowley said the company has been monitoring its vehicles imported from Japan, something the majority of new car importers have undertaken without incident.

"Tests have continually been carried out prior to shipping and no radiation has been detected. The issue raised in the media is quite clearly around used cars. We do not import any used cars from Japan," he said.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association initiated its own procedures to test the radiation levels of vehicles produced in Japan in April.