Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said the woman, who had worked in support functions, had received 17.55 millisieverts of radiation, compared to the limit for women of five millisieverts over three months.

"It was our error. We regret it," a TEPCO official told reporters.

The limit is lower for women, in part because of the risk to their babies if they fall pregnant. Women also have a higher sensitivity to radiation and the dose which causes permanent sterility is lower than that for men.

The woman, aged in her 50s, was pulled from work on March 23 along with 18 other female staff. Medical checkups found no health effects on her or 16 other women who have been tested so far.

The woman who was exposed was mostly working indoors but may have been exposed, for example, when helping workers dispose off contaminated clothing.

Japan allows male workers in the current nuclear emergency to be exposed to up to 250 millisieverts of radiation.

TEPCO made the announcement after compiling radiation exposure levels of its workers at the nuclear plant, which was damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed much of Japan's northern Pacific coast.

"It is extremely regrettable," said Hidehiko Nishiyama, a nuclear safety agency spokesman. "We must investigate why and how this happened.

"We will demand thorough answers from TEPCO. We are considering issuing an order for them to compile prevention measures."

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