Meter Reading Training

[Carolina Jethro]

Just my 2 cents worth... I didn't see anything challenging at all about the test. If you can't read a meter I would not want you out covering a crew in a high rad area. I see some techs have trouble with the conversion of cpm to dpm ...and even more having trouble with military time. If you can't figure that out you need to really do some brushing up or find another line of work. I am sure most techs have time to do the practice test on nukeworker during down time to keep on top of things. Also thanks to Bartlett for providing the training. I would like to see more training provided by the companies. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

[klsas]

Eric B. - You started a firestorm with this post. What is the contract company's position in this matter? Is there a possibility of future contracts containing some type of provision that test's all techs upon reporting to site and adjusting pay based on first time test results and not 2nd and 3rd chances. I realize that this could create a shortage of senior techs at the site, but if the pay was right, you'd get some old time techs out of DOE and back in to commercial.

As far as posting on this matter, I can't say anything that hasn't been said. It seems that we have beaten the horse pretty good. There is only so many ways that you can say "If you can't do the job your paid to do, go home". That is the way it is in all non-nuclear jobs, and they don't all deal with public health and safety. I'd hate to be in a situation where a cop was protecting me and I had to show him how to use the gun while the bad guy was shooting at me.

Camella - you tried to put a different spin on the situation. I'll give you credit for that, but there aren't two ways too look at this. You can either do your job or you can't. If you can't, you need to go back for more training or change your line of work. If I come across a situation that I am unfamiliar with or a big job that could have major implications if a mistake was made, I am not afraid too ask for help, but reading a meter isn't one of those situations. I'm not perfect as I have made one or two mistakes in my life. (I think)

Keith

[RDTroja]

While it is the Contract Company's best interest to send competent people, and it is certainly in the licencee's best interest to ensure that the people doing surveys at their facilities are competent, it is each tech's RESPONSIBILITY to be able to do the job they're paid to do.
Kudos to anyone who provides training, particularly FREE training, and a pox on anyone who's willing to coast into a senior HP slot without the basic skills and understanding necessary to do a good job.

Well stated and very accurate... but I thought I was the only one that used 'a pox' as a curse in this day and age. I like it.

[UncaBuffalo]

So what did it take to be a 'right' answer? 

Am I going to flunk this test for putting down 30K or 35K, instead of 32K?  Or 1R, instead of 0.9R? 

Because, if that was the case, I would flunk this test.  I have never seen the point of some bozo standing up on a S/G platform waiting for his/her 2A to settle out so they can differentiate between 7.5R & 8R...IT DOESN'T MATTER!  Give me a good round number within 20% of actual...and I'll have enough safety built into my staytime to make up for the difference. 

And does 220K give me more info on setting my contamination controls?  NO!  Tell me the stupid thing is 200K...or 250K...it's NOT going to affect my job coverage!

[Laning]

Folks,

I'm just flabbergasted by the discussion. I can't understand ANY defense of this situation. We're talking about people accepting positions of a "safety" nature. Positions that are deemed important enough to require an ANSI standard. Positons that have the "potential" if not performed properly, to physically harm through overexposure; and more likely to do significant financial harm to your client. There are standards for a reason. I'm sorry, if you can't use the basic tools of your trade, your not a tradesman. To defend this situation is offensive to all those people on here who've spent countless hrs preparing themselves to meet the requirements of the position. I don't care where you came from, college, navy, local bar. Its no one else's fault for what you don't know. Its not the utility's fault, it sure as hell isnt Bartlett's fault.

If you think timed tests are B.S....that doent speak well of your understanding of your job. Time, distance, shielding,...fundamental ALARA concepts. TIME being the first variable mentioned. If you find yourself perplexed by the choice of "fast" or "correct" then you don't get it. The job is all about efficiency, (fast + correct)= Sr HP is the right answer here, not one or the other.

I don't want to hear what a pompous ass I am. No I was not born an HP. I personally spent 7 yrs as a deconner because I didnt think I was smart enough to be an HP. I was helped and coached by some very generous people when I decided to make the switch.  No one had to drag me by my hood, or coax me away from a card game to get me experience. I struggled with the math and theory....so I studied..and studied...and studied. What I didnt need to do at that point was study my meters. I learned to read those meters long before I ever dreamed of becoming an HP.

[metermaid]

I feel sorry for some of the younger techs, newer techs or anyone who has to work with the majority of the attitudes I see at times on here; sure these people may not be as skilled as you (count your blessings), they may not be as quick as you (again be thankful)

I agree that 30 year super-techs should not expect that the 3 years techs will be as knowledgeable in the field, but reading a meter is a skill developed at the junior level.  We are not talking about doing a quick shielding calculation on the back of a smear record paper and making a lead blanket decision in the field.

What scares me is if what if acceptance of this senior tech flaw creeps into the calibration lab?  What if the guy calibrating the meters can't read a meter?  Of course then it won't matter if your senior techs can't read meters.  

[illegalsmile]

I thought I was the only one that used 'a pox' as a curse in this day and age

I picked it up at Calvert Cliffs in 1981

[HydroDave63]

There is no excuse for not being able to properly read a meter if you are a Jr or Sr. If we are at a point where we need classes to read meters, maybe we should re-evalute this whole training scenario. Maybe more OJT.

exactly, this is a "Darwin Check" ...can't pass this, your badge shouldn't work,period.

[RDTroja]

So what did it take to be a 'right' answer? 

Am I going to flunk this test for putting down 30K or 35K, instead of 32K?  Or 1R, instead of 0.9R? 

Because, if that was the case, I would flunk this test.  I have never seen the point of some bozo standing up on a S/G platform waiting for his/her 2A to settle out so they can differentiate between 7.5R & 8R...IT DOESN'T MATTER!  Give me a good round number within 20% of actual...and I'll have enough safety built into my staytime to make up for the difference. 

And does 220K give me more info on setting my contamination controls?  NO!  Tell me the stupid thing is 200K...or 250K...it's NOT going to affect my job coverage!

I did not penalize my trainees for putting 1R instead of .9R... and it prompted a good discussion of why... pretty much what you expressed. If that constitutes a wrong answer, then the test is flawed.

[SloGlo]

kudos 'n karma to everbuddy dat brought up the "time" factor.  speed is essential for the tech's own radiological safety.  accuracy is for everyone elses.  neither should be compromised.  'bout da onliest time eye kin tink of when speed 'n accuracy may not be of essence is when ya bag a qtπ 'n put it ona reech rod to get a contact d/r ona fuel bundle.  then yer allowed da extra time ta focus da binoculars. 

[illegalsmile]

I did not penalize my trainees for putting 1R instead of .9R...

but you might want to gig them if they do it the other way around (.9R/hr when it should be 1.0 R/hr) for obvious reasons.

[thenukeman]

You have DOE using a correction factor of 5 and 30 for point and plane for pancake probes and nukeplants using 10 for both.  About the only time DOE is right.  But when I am at the nuke plants, I do what the nuke plants want, while in Rome do what the Romans do!!! LOL even if you know it is wrong!  I tell them but they do not listen.

[Tech A]

I think that Bartlett is doing us all a service, not everyone is a speed demon and its a good idea for everyone to brush up or hone their skills. Doctors and sports figures are two groups of people I can think of that do this routinely. And I don't blame Bartlett or not Barlett alone for the shortage of techs, look towards the utilities and their inability to schedule the outages in a way in which their would be an abundance of good techs.

If there is such a shortage of techs why dont we make decent wages compared to the craft? We are the only craft here that doesnt make double time here at the site Im at.  FME people are making three dollars less than us.  Safety people who dont even enter the comaninated areas make 10 dollar more than us. We dont have a shortage of techs we have a shortage of quality techs.  Bartlett shouldnt even have to give this practice test because it just sad that we still have veteran techs who cant read a meter.

[gammaman30]

  If there is such a shortage of techs why dont we make decent wages compared to the craft? We are the only craft here that doesnt make double time here at the site Im at.  FME people are making three dollars less than us.  Safety people who dont even enter the comaninated areas make 10 dollar more than us. We dont have a shortage of techs we have a shortage of quality techs.  Bartlett shouldnt even have to give this practice test because it just sad that we still have veteran techs who cant read a meter.

Well I already said it once HP Techs are stupid! You will not make more money while you are willing to work for that wage 22 hour there at columbia. You and eveyone else here complaining about techs that can not pass the meter test but you are there working next to them. Demand more money than the losers that cant pass the test and dont work for 22 hour! just say no or shut up! you guys are no better than they are when you work for peanuts!

[raymcginnis]

'bout da onliest time eye kin tink of when speed 'n accuracy may not be of essence is when ya bag a qtπ 'n put it ona reech rod to get a contact d/r ona fuel bundle.  then yer allowed da extra time ta focus da binoculars. 

Ah yes SloGlo, ALARA, as in time distance and shielding.  When your pipe hangers can't hold any more shielding, like Maine Yankee in the early 80's, all you have is time.  You had to run in between survey points inside of the bioshield after maximum shielding.  My advice to the workers was "You don't want to go in there."  

What if the guy calibrating the meters can't read a meter?  Of course then it won't matter if your senior techs can't read meters.

Witty sarcasm.  I like it.

It seems to me that the meter reading problem has been recognized by the plants, hence the test.  Bartlett has recognized that they can't put unqualified techs in the field, hence the training.  Hopefully that problem will resolve itself.  What if this is only an underlying problem to the major problem of general lack of knowledge today?  Sounds like we need to bring back oral boards.

  If there is such a shortage of techs why dont we make decent wages compared to the craft?

The pay thing is "Catch 22."  The good techs leave because of the low pay and the utilities don't want to pay the remaining mostly under-qualified techs higher pay.  In the end, if the outage gets done, they probably don't care about either.

[MrHazmat]

Go to the site and take the Primer. If the real test is just like this, then I agree, you can't read a meter you can't do job coverage.    I had no problem with the test and I have been out of HP for 13 years.

[stownsend]

Can someone tell me how this test was administered? Someone said it was a slide presentation. Was the test given in a room with thirty people trying to see the screen? Were the pictures adequate or were they fuzzy? Did they have questionalable pictures like the # 9and # 12 examples on Bartletts WEB? Someone said they had 10 questions and someone had 20. Are they trying to see if I can read a meter correctly or can I read a meter quickly from 20 feet? Again this is not a hard test. I did find myself scanning the whole page to make sure there wasn't some instruction I missed. This is in instilled in all of us to read the whole question before answering.

[nothinbuttrouble]

it was given in a classroom setting with about 20 - 30 people sitted at long tables.  tested was then admisitred from a slide presentation on a screen.    some of the pictures werent of the best quality.  the test given at susquehanna has 20 questions.   you were given 15 seconds to view the slide on the screen then write your answer down.  the reading on the meter had to be accurate no arounding off if it 5.8 mr/hr you couldnt put 6 mr/hr.  one particular meter gave alot of people problems.  it is a meter we wouldnt use every day.  this is my observation and my opinion. 

[alphadude]

sounds fishy   so are they testing your ability to see, make a decision in 15 seconds, test under an induced pressure (this method of testing) etc   if you want people to read meters you give them a page or two of printed faces of different styles and increments and say you have x minutes to finish the test.  Teach attention to detail by another method not the cheap slide show you just mentioned.

sounds like they didnt follow the systematic approach to training.  it really kicks STAR in the A**.

[SloGlo]

The pay thing is "Catch 22."  The good techs leave because of the low pay and the utilities don't want to pay the remaining mostly under-qualified techs higher pay.  In the end, if the outage gets done, they probably don't care about either.

amen, brudder radpro guy.

[UncaBuffalo]

Bartlett shouldnt even have to give this practice test because it just sad that we still have veteran techs who cant read a meter.

That may be true...but I'm glad they did give the practice...it's an easy test if you've seen it, but always nice to have an idea what to expect...

[metermaid]

I just looked at the training after reading recent replies.  I would say that a few of the photos, where they say "the needle is clearly between..." is not true.  Since the photos are taken at an angle from the instrument, not dead on, it is not clear, especially if you are looking from across the room at a projection screen and only have 15 seconds.  There are at least 3 that I may or may not have missed, depending on my caffeine level at that time.  Most of them I would have still gotten though, even under those circumstances, even as a junior tech.  They do need better, clear, concise photos though.

[SloGlo]

fyi, asa propheshunawl meter reader, eye hadda go take dis test.  hadda sea watt alla buzz waz, yinz no?  what i saw bleu me away!  dang!  no beer in mind, eye ain't looked ata meter dat duz remote monitoring, high range (>20mr/hr), or extends furthar dan my hand fer t........ a long time.  'n eye gotta tell ya, eye dawnt even no why ennybuddy is defending sumbuddy as an hp woo kant pass dis ting.  iffen ya don't make da cut on dis test, ya oughta go down da rode efreekingmediately.  btw, i gotta 96.1%.  eye eben chequed my math ona cell phone calculator, sews ya no itz goode.

metermaid,  this wuzant posted against yew. yinz got yer post in der wile i wuz bizee wit da phone.  but, i didn't have da discrimination probs.  must be dat propheshunawl meter reader label, huh?

[stownsend]

If I wrote down there would be no reading # 4 because it is out of calibration would I get it wrong? Hey Slogo check your phone calculator because it is hard to get a 96.1 when each question would be worth 5 points if there are 20 questions, unless you got a partial credit from Marty V.

[HydroDave63]

Well I already said it once HP Techs are stupid! You will not make more money while you are willing to work for that wage 22 hour there at columbia. You and eveyone else here complaining about techs that can not pass the meter test but you are there working next to them. Demand more money than the losers that cant pass the test and dont work for 22 hour! just say no or shut up! you guys are no better than they are when you work for peanuts!

Perhaps you need some more gammas!

15 seconds is more than enough time per meter face, and having the pics taken at an angle reinforces the concept that the tech needs to take meter parallax into consideration, makes for a fine mini-JPM!