Your Life Dose

[Already Gone]

well good to know that everyone is staying healthy and in good shape

do any of you have any photos of you working in the reactor building?   i have a couple but i'm not sure if i am aloud to post them on the internet....i should really ask my manager about stuff like that

Look at the top of the page, and click on the Pictures tab.  There are tons of cool pics there.

[remowil55]

Oh, about 7 rem in 18 years. The most picked up at one time 1.2 rem in 20 minutes.

[RDTroja]

If we are going for fastest dose accumulation (I recommend against it) I got my first REM cleaning out a sump at Maine Yankee in 1974 (maybe early '75) most of it in about 10 seconds. I was an engineering aide subbing as a 'radwaste technician' for Hittman at the time. Somebody handed me a bucket and yelled "Run" so I ran to the shielded drum and dropped it in. I remember the HP with the teletector saying 'wow' as I ran past. About two months later I was an HP (I learn quickly.)

I also got 100 mR in about 5 or 6 seconds when I got sent into the wrong room in 1976 to take a survey with a very old-fashioned hand-held dose rate meter you had to press a button on to get a reading. Walked inot the room, pushed the button and it read about 100 R/hr. Left the room and locked the door. Quick lesson on entering rooms with the right meter on the right scale and paying close attention... back to that 'learn quickly' thing.

Of course there are the old S/G jumper stories. Took someone from 0 lifetime to 2.75 REM in about 3 minutes once. Ah, the good old days...

[hatrai07]

I was lucky , I toured the glamour spots of Nuke power like Surry, North Anna, Indian Point II, Zion and picked up 60 rem in my first 15 years but nothing since 1995

[RDTroja]

I was lucky , I toured the glamour spots of Nuke power like Surry, North Anna, Indian Point II, Zion and picked up 60 rem in my first 15 years but nothing since 1995

Quite the tour. Sounds like you could have used a lesson in 'learns quickly' at the time. Glad things are working out better for you in the dose department now.

[stownsend]

I got my first REM cleaning out a sump at Maine Yankee in 1974 (maybe early '75) most of it in about 10 seconds. Somebody handed me a bucket and yelled "Run" so I ran to the shielded drum and dropped it in. I remember the HP with the teletector saying 'wow' as I ran past. About two months later I was an HP (I learn quickly.)

Life time dose ~28 REM. I also would get the fish net with the 8foot handle and run 100r/hr filters to the HIC in the "gates of hell" in radwaste at Maine Yankee.

[RDTroja]

Life time dose ~28 REM. I also would get the fish net with the 8foot handle and run 100r/hr filters to the HIC in the "gates of hell" in radwaste at Maine Yankee.

You had an 8 foot handle? Damn, that would have been nice. I had to grab the handle of the bucket.

[stownsend]

Somebody handed me a bucket and yelled "Run" so I ran to the shielded drum and dropped it in. I remember the HP with the teletector saying 'wow' as I ran past. About two months later I was an HP (I learn quickly.)

Promotions were given to the fastest and brightest.At least there were coffee,donuts and cigs in the containment bullpen.

[retired nuke]

About 16 R in ~ 28 yrs.

First couple R was inna SG - I was the good jumper that didn't throw up in the respirator. 

[remowil55]

Of course there are the old S/G jumper stories. Took someone from 0 lifetime to 2.75 REM in about 3 minutes once. Ah, the good old days...

That's my story, jump the secondary side went down the stick ladder below the girthweld to install a spacer in this new invention called a SG Annulus Seal System. Yea the good old days got burnt out and spent the next 5 months driving a truck around the protected area.

[ageoldtech]

Just a touch over 36 Rem in 27 years, like most I haven't picked up much in the last 10 years. The most at one time was 1.25 Rem, in the filter running days.

[Brett LaVigne]

Been in and out of the industry for 19 years. I took somewhere around 7 years off to do other things so realistically I have around 12 years of being an HP Tech. 2 of those years were on the USS Enterprise during the refuel and overhaul, picked up around 1300 Mrem during that time and my total lifetime dose is in the neighborhood of 7 Rem.

In this game, the lower the number the better...don't need to tell any of you that. I was very fortunate to get into this work when the industry was starting to really embrace the idea of ALARA.
I have always believed that as an HP I should lead by example and spend as much time as I can in the "Cold Zone" (I can't help it if the lowest dose is in the breakroom!).

[AMU]

Somewhere around 15 R, 1983 - 2006, mostly PWR work, some government work.  Out of business since 2006.  Like golf, lower is better.  Technology these days helps to lower dose and is fascinating. 

[Hereinnc]

Worked in the business of almost 38 years, lifetime dose is around 38 Rem.  Not proud of it, wish that they had used the same principles back in the old days thay they use now.  But that's life.  Have spent almost equal time in B's as P's and about 5 years in DOE.  Rad teching has changed and the coverage methods highly improved (remote cameras and dose monitoring equipment and techniques.  More concerns for worker exposure as well as the techs nowadays.  Stay away and use common sense, if your not sure don't do it without stopping and thinking before acting and always ask because today someone has already done it and advise is always beneficial.  Stupidity and showmanship has no place in todays business.