Zero to ANSI 3.1 in Six Years

[Rennhack]

Some HP’s went to college.  It is assuredly the fastest path to becoming a Sr. HP.  A two year degree from one of the many colleges, available online, will assure you a fast track to being a Sr. HP and collecting those pay checks.  College people like other College people, who shared a similar experience.


Other HP’s started in the nuclear Navy.  The Navy has an incredible training program, and instills a great work ethic in young people.  It is NOT a fast path, as the typical Navy commitment is 6 years for the nuclear training.  However, later down the line, you will learn that the nuclear industry is full of ex-Navy people.  Navy people like Navy people, who shared a similar experience.

The third path, the path few have chosen, is the slowest path of them all.  The ‘start at the bottom, and work your way up’ path.  To be an ANSI 3.1 Sr. HP, without college or Navy time, you will need 156 weeks (3 years) of HP experience.  That is 39 of the 4 week outages that we currently enjoy.  If you work 24 weeks a year, it will take you 6.5 years of HP time to become a Sr. HP.

Be sure to read this article; "Acceptable Experience and Training for HP Technicians at Nuclear Power Plants": http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,4395.0.html


If you work 3 months as a deconner, and are meter qualified, you will get 3 months of Jr. HP experience.  After that, you get nothing.  You can work as a deconner for 6 years, and you will only get 3 months of HP experience.

Work no more than 3 months as a DECONNER, 3 months as a as a LAUNDRY MONITOR (Deconners often do this), 3 months as a CONTROL POINT MONITOR (JR HPs often do this), 3 months as a COUNT ROOM TECH (JR HPs often do this), 6 months as a DOSIMETRY TECH (JR HPs often do this), or 6 months as a RESPIRATOR PROTECTION TECH (Deconners/JR HPs often do this), after that, you will get NO HP credit.

First Year: So, to recap, work 3 outages ~ 3 months as a Jr. deconner, pulling trash and laundry.  Make sure you get meter qualified and put on your resume that you were meter qualified (and used it, i.e. “Operation of RO-2 and HP-210).  Then work 3 outages ~ 3 months as a ‘deconner’ either deconning respirators, or washing the laundry.  Either way, make sure you operate the monitor and put on your resume that you ‘monitored’ the laundry or respirators. One year has passed, you were a deconner, and you have 6 months of experience toward being an HP.

Year Two:  You tell the recruiters that you will only accept a Jr. HP position, because you have maxed out your decon time towards being an HP.  Spend 3 outages ~ 3 months as a control point monitor, and 3 outages ~ 3 months in a count room counting smears and air samples.  Two years have passed, and now you have about 1 years of HP experience.

Year Three:  You have to insist on doing ‘real’ HP work, like routine surveys, etc.  You will have ~1.5 years of HP time at the end of the third year.

Year Four: Same as year three, wash, rinse, repeat.  Tag along with Sr’s, and help with job coverage.  You will need the experience next year.  You will have ~ 2 years of HP time at the end of the fourth year.

Year Five:  Now you have to insist you will only accept “18.1” Sr HP slots.  The older power plants can call HP’s with 2 years of experience a “Sr. HP”.  The newer plants require 3 years.  You will get a lot of great experience at those plants, and the people are wonderful there.  You will have ~ 2.5 years of HP time at the end of the fifth year.

Year Six:  Same as year five, wash, rinse, repeat.  You should be studying for the NRRPT (a national certification for HP techs), they require you have five years experience.  Congratulations!  At the end of the 6th year, you should have 3 years of HP time, and are a real live ANSI 3.1 Sr HP.  Don’t forget to apply for the NRRPT whne you have 5 years of experience.

[Rennhack]

Additional Notes:

1) If you went to college and got a 2 year degree, they will credit you with 12 months of experience once you get 24 months of experience.  so you skip the '18.1' 2 year senior and go strait to a '3.1' Senior once you get twenty four months of RP time.

2) Be warry of some companies/plants that will credit you as a 'two year senior' once you have 20 months time (instead of 24 months). Their math includes giving you 5 months of credit for 4 months worked (counting hours worked instead of actual months).  The ANSI standard (linked above) makes no such allowance.  It requires "2 years of experience".  You can't get two years of experience in 20 months.  You can get a LOT of experience working overtime, but a week is still a week.  A month is still a month. And a year is still a year.

[gravy58]

They are handing out 2 year degrees like hamburgers at McDonalds. If you super size it, you can be a lead Tech. with in your first year of work and never have to cover a hot job. Of course if you through in a happy meal, they'll make you a Supervisor.

[Chimera]

Additional Notes:

1) If you went to college and got a 2 year degree, they will credit you with 12 months of experience once you get 24 months of experience.  so you skip the '18.1' 2 year senior and go strait to a '3.1' Senior once you get twenty four months of RP time.

2) Be warry of some companies/plants that will credit you as a 'two year senior' once you have 20 months time (instead of 24 months). Their math includes giving you 5 months of credit for 4 months worked (counting hours worked instead of actual months).  The ANSI standard (linked above) makes no such allowance.  It requires "2 years of experience".  You can't get two years of experience in 20 months.  You can get a LOT of experience working overtime, but a week is still a week.  A month is still a month. And a year is still a year.

That's been a long-standing discussion from way back.  Most places have opted to define a year as 52 weeks versus 2000 hours.  The Standards don't differentiate.  They just say "year".

[Lip2303]

In the above linked article, it states that a maximum of 50 hours per week should be accepted towards your experience when working during outage times. It also states that 2000 hours of verified experience is equal to one year experience. Wouldn't this make it possible to accumulate your two years experience in 20 months vs 24 months?

I understand what you posted, but the link you reference states something different, unless I am completely mistaken (which is entirely possible and has happened before).

[radrat]

Don't forget to take into consideration the plant RPM and or managers interpertation of ANSI. They have, in the past, made people Sr RP Techs with less time. That is IF they are willing to designate the person as a Sr on paper and take ALL of the responsibility for it. Ive seen it, not very offten but it does happen.

In the old days as a Jr we used to get a letter from the RPM at the plant stating we had "X" Jr time to be counted towards our Sr time. I don't see that happening these days since most company's are now  keeping track of Jr time acquired and keeping it auditable with being conservative. That may not seem fair to the Jr (in their opinion) however; it protects the tech as well as the company they are going to represent.

[Rad Bimmer]

They are handing out 2 year degrees like hamburgers at McDonalds. If you super size it, you can be a lead Tech. with in your first year of work and never have to cover a hot job. Of course if you through in a happy meal, they'll make you a Supervisor.

Gravy I agree with you for I know one or two that are RP supervisors and have never swung a meter. Now how is that possible SMH!

Rennhack this is great info although I think many of the newbies, even if they went to school for RP should start out as deconners and get some experience on that end and a feel for the industry!

[NUCVINI]

So what about if I have an engineering degree, and 2000 hours of experience. Is that enough to be a 18.1Sr. Rp?

[peteshonkwiler]

Depends on that 2000 hours of experience.

[Rennhack]

So what about if I have an engineering degree, and 2000 hours of experience. Is that enough to be a 18.1Sr. Rp?

Be sure to read this article; "Acceptable Experience and Training for HP Technicians at Nuclear Power Plants": http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,4395.0.html

Your B.S./advanced degree in science/engineer =1 year exp.

The way BHI/WEC does it, you are a junior untill you have 1 year exp, then they make you an 18.1.  Be advised, most sites require you to be 3.1, 3 years exp.