Washington A study released in Washington last week argues that the US government failed to give nuclear- weapons workers in the 1940s and 1950s adequate protection from high levels of radiation. It also says that managers at privately owned nuclear weapons plants deliberately misled employees about the dangers of their working conditions.

The study was carried out by the non-profit Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. It found that, contrary to assurance to workers that they did not face and unusual hazard, radiation levels within the plants routinely reached 500 times allowable limits. The institute is urging the US government to investigate the problem further, and provide free medical care to ageing former nuclear workers.