I listened to a report today on reckless cleanup at Chernobyl. Workers would have to climb up and restore a new Red flag when the radiation would eat the one flying at the facility.
The Soviets, early on, sent a man in shirt sleeves to do work. By the end of the day, he was so heavily filled with poison, that in the hospital when his fiancee would visit he would cough up bits of his organs. She went in to stay with him even though the nurses warned her the dangers. He was given an orange. He asked if she would like it as he knew she loved oranges. Then he would dose off again as heavily sedated. She took it against medical advice as it was high in radiation, because she loved him and wanted to stay positive when near him. His skin peeled off. I believe there is a book now on this Chernobyl victim which she has written.
Jumper at Chernobyl
http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE73206N20110403?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0