Certifications & training

[JassenB]

If anybody knows an in-depth FAQ about this sort of stuff, let me know, and I'll leave you all alone.

This question is in regards to what additional certifications/training *might* be helpful for me to do before I leave school this semester.

I have a current HAZWOPER, RCRA, Confined Space, Bloodborne Pathogens, etc. I'm planning on taking the DOE CORE exam in the next few weeks and finishing my B.S. degree this semester.

What else should I be looking at? Perhaps HAZWOPER Supervisor? CHP part 1? Any industrial hygeine or environmental health & safety stuff?

I'm sure there are things I don't even know exist.

I'm also contemplating spending one outage as a deconner before jumping into HP work, since a lot of you seem to think that it's good experience to have starting out. I know there's no per diem with it, but deconners make more than the unemployed (that's me right now). Good idea or a waste of time?

Thanks...again!

-Jassen

[Rennhack]

The more [certifications] the better.  Especially if you don't have a lot of experience, or an uncle in the buisness.

[SloGlo]

dere's a phine line between the certificate level one should have prior to entering the work force.  like, a hazwoper supervisor cert may give some of the front line supervision the impression the one cood be considered a smartarse. a chp part 1 cert may not be too bad, as it is more of an etheral approach to the biz.  sonds like it's about time to get outa da classrum 'n inta da field.  unless ya don't wanna do actual werk, in witch case, the mor certs da bettor.

[JEBako]

If you can get work as a senior, take it. If not, try working as a junior. If neither is available, then deconner. We are all working for money, get what you can.

You seem to understand that you have the qualification, but not the experience. One source you haven't been exposed to yet are the many fine and experienced technicians that are working in the field.

If you haven't done something before, ask for help/guidance. There is usually someone that can help you. If the person you ask gives you a load of BS, try someone else.

[JassenB]

biz.  sonds like it's about time to get outa da classrum 'n inta da field.  unless ya don't wanna do actual werk, in witch case, the mor certs da bettor.

Thanks for the tip. And yes, I'm more than ready to get out of the classroom. Not that I don't think school is good to have, but I've reached the point where I don't feel like I'm *doing* anything. Not to mention I miss getting my hands dirty.

-Jassen

[JassenB]

If you can get work as a senior, take it. If not, try working as a junior. If neither is available, then deconner. We are all working for money, get what you can.

You seem to understand that you have the qualification, but not the experience. One source you haven't been exposed to yet are the many fine and experienced technicians that are working in the field.

I should be able to get in as a Junior HP, according to Eric Bartlett and Roxanna at Numanco. I just want to get out there and start learning the job itself. I'm glad that I decided to make a career change now rather than 20 years down the road.

The challenge now I guess is going to be finding a place to work through the summer, and then picking a couple outages to work in the Fall where I can actually get my foot in the door.

I'm pretty much focusing on what Bartlett and Numanco have available, and I'm definitely discovering that there are BIG differences in pay at different sites.

Thanks again!
-Jassen

[Rennhack]

Jassen, give me a yell when you are ready, I'll see what I can do.  I know a guy that knows a guy.

[JassenB]

Jassen, give me a yell when you are ready, I'll see what I can do.  I know a guy that knows a guy.

Thank you, much appreciated. I'll give you a buzz in a month or two.

Thanks!
-Jassen

[moke]

Hi Jassen,

One important note; keep all of your schooling knowledge in your back pocket, be a sponge, ask questions and whip the school stuff when need be. Let your instincts take the lead.

A big key is to implement what you have learned in the classroom. Put it to work. I noticed that many whom have been in school for awhile need to be told what to do?

As an HP, you need to know of everyone elses job and then yours. Schooling never stops in this business.

Another important note is the fact that you will become a problem solver as an HP.

There was talk on another post about an HP running. I hope that you don't tuck your tail between your legs when the going gets tough because this RCT stuff is not for the meek or pussy cats.

HP's detect trends and abnormalities. When dealing with radiological surveys, they must be neat, clear, accurrate and concise. Tell a clear story about the radiological situation at hand in a manner that a 11 year old may understand too.

Have an Awesome Day and Welcome to the Biz!

Goodluck,

Moke

[SloGlo]

Tell a clear story about the radiological situation at hand in a manner that a 11 year old may understand too.

dang.... yinzez are werken wit da edumaked groups, ain't cha?

[bodyburden]

JassenB

Moke is right.  Some people don't have the temperament to do this work.  You should definitely take this career for a test drive before you commit, which is the best thing about taking road jobs, since they give you the opportunity to try it without being stuck in a job you hate.
As for additional certifications or training, ALL training can be useful.  However, the reality is that to do well in this business, there is no substitute for EXPERIENCE.  The CHP initials look good on paper, but I've seen CHPs that didn't have the experience to be CREDIBLE, regardless of how many times they've read something in a book.  Another thing to consider is that depending on your degree, you might not be qualified to sit for the CHP exam yet.  ANS is pretty picky about who they let in to their club.
The other thing to consider is that even if you are a CHP and a degreed HP, you will still be a junior tech until you get enough time in to meet the ANS/ANSI standard.  I was in the same boat; a degreed junior pulling trash for several years because I didn't have time in grade (Actually, those were the BEST jobs because they were FUN).  Now I'm an HP trainer, who unfortunately CAN'T let certain people do independent work regardless of quals or ability because of that same standard, and the reason is that HP work is different than most professions;  you CAN'T learn this in a book, only by sweating your butt off in containment, covering 2 or 3 jobs at once and trying to keep track of your problem child insulators or whoever (no offense to those reading!!!) while some psycho HP supervisor keeps paging you to micromanage some other job. . . get the drift?  HP work is like educated babysitting. . . you are there to protect the workers, but along the way you need to know ALOT about ALOT.
The best advice I ever got was to learn from all the folks on the road.  Some of the smartest people I've ever met were while we were covering generator jumpers at two in the morning in the middle of nowhere. . .
The good techs will take you under their wing and give you a real education.  The bad ones. . . well, you'll figure them out real quick.  Trust your insticts and learn what you can.
But most importantly,
HAVE FUN DOING IT.
Good Luck!

[bodyburden]

Sorry, I told you wrong.  The CHP is administered by the Health Physics Society.  My bad.

[alphadude]

I dont think a person that is a CHP would bother being an HP tech.  This person may shadow the techs, to get the view but CHPs have bigger fish to fry. Whats up with slamming degrees and advanced certificates here??  Is it some sort of degree envy or what??

[SloGlo]

I dont think a person that is a CHP would bother being an HP tech. 

gotta agree wit ya alphadude.  iffen a chp wants to be a tech, then i'd lose all respect for that person.  anybuddy that wants to go from a $100k+/year to $23/hr doesn't have the brains to figure out how to deal with an area that's 4 mr/hr, with a 500kdpm mixed alpha/beta contamination level.

[cmumess]

Why not sit for the RRPT test if you are staying in the nuke industry. The Biological field is picking up, universities will need bio techs and bio managers. We just hired a bio tech. Its nice to have rad experience along with bio because animal research is picking up. As much as I hate that...

[JassenB]

I'll tell you why somebody would walk away from $100k per year for $23/hr plus overtime and per diem: I never again want to work in an office job, I don't like being trapped in a lab, and I prefer constantly being in new surroundings (I get bored working at the same place longer than about 3-6 months).

So, even though I'm working on a M.S. in radiochemistry, which I probably will finish eventually, and I find the subject matter fascinating, I would much rather give the road life a try and stick with it if I like it then be stuck in a job where I have to go to the same place every day.

Besides, I like the idea of taking half the year off.

I'd eventually like to get my CHP and/or CIH, but I'd rather be an HP tech that gets a CHP than be a CHP that becomes an HP tech.

Several of you mentioned that experience is what counts more than anything, and I think that is what I will focus on getting after this semester is over, and put the Master's degree on hold until next year or later.

Thanks for all your advice.

-Jassen

[moodusjack]

"...ut I'd rather be an HP tech that gets a CHP than be a CHP that becomes an HP tech."

I've seen both happen (I'm the former).  The key word is "becomes".  I know CHPs who chose to become techs for a variety of reasons.  One guy I knew wanted to get away from the "man".  I knew another that [insanely] liked the work.  My point is when it's choice it's not necessarily bad.  And that's a good thing, right Martha?

[rysics]

Jassen,

I'm an ex-Navy Nuc MM...got out and got my degree in Math/Physics and did research for about 4 years.  I'm currently a Navy Civilian RCT and I'm asked quite often why I'm "just" a tech (their words, not mine).  There are several reasons...offices bore the crap out of me...I get to work with different production people in different areas with different controls almost every day...keeps it from getting dull.  Think of it like baseball....same basic game but you have to adjust to different fields all the time (heh...I'm not real good at analogys).  Additionally, with my degree I've found that I'm able to act as a liason with the engineers, RadCon and production...its been helpful.

Whatever you decide...have fun

Ryan

[RDTroja]

I have known a couple of degreed HP techs... two (at least) had Masters degrees. One was just short of his PhD and was having a great time as a tech. Charlie Pierce (R.I.P.) wanted desperately to put him in an advanced posistion but the tech wouldn't do it. He was having way too much fun doing outages (of course that was in the very early eighties).

I also think that losing respect for a person who wants to learn every aspect of his chosen field is exactly the wrong reaction. An instructor I worked with had a Masters in HP and wanted to get some field experience, but had to start out at the junior level (a practice I heartily agree with) and was having a hard time getting a slot. So, he applied to the NRC and was accepted, giving rise to another person in a position of responsibility with no practical experience. I personally would rather that the people deciding my professional fate understand my job a little better.

And alphadude... who is slamming degrees and certificates here?

Whats up with slamming degrees and advanced certificates here??  Is it some sort of degree envy or what??

The only thing even slightly negative was the 'keep all of the schooling knowledge in your back pocket' comment, which is very good advice for someone wanting to learn. If you act like you know it, no one will want to teach you.

[Beta_effect]

I think it is all about flexibility. I went from the Nav as an ELT to college working initially on a part time basis for NUMANCO as a Senior HP (18.1), then got on as staff for the university research reactor, got my BS/MS in Nuclear Engineering, became certified by the ABHP, and finally got my P.E. At the research reactor level, the staff did everything from mopping the floors to pulling boards on the reactor console. We did not have a support staff so we did all the radcon too in addition to providing support for a wide variety of research projects-some involving radiation levels as high as anything I saw at a commercial plant. So being able to do a lot of things can come in handy.

I'd almost do another outage for free just to see what has changed since the eighties. I still maintain the power plant connection through emergency planning and training, but instead of sucking rubber, I do radiological assessment in the EOF for a State program-no money there, but I would not trade the experience for anything. We get involved in anything from a thorium site remediation to cancer treatments using IMRT. So it always isn't about money. I would almost go back and work at a research reactor for free too! Best job I have ever had.

So be flexible, do what you love, and the money will probably take care of itself...

[retired nuke]

Here are some common certifications for disciplines, in no particular order..

Radiation Protection: Registered Radiation Protection Technician (RRPT) http://www.nrrpt.org/

Health Physicist: Certified Health Physicist (CHP) http://www.hps1.org/aahp/abhp/abhp.htm

Safety: Certified Safety Professional (CSP) http://www.bcsp.org/
           OHST / CHST http://www.cchest.org/

Environmental: Registered Environmental Professional (REP), Registered Environmental Manager (REM) and several others areas such as indoor air quality, environmental lab tech, and environmental property assessments http://www.nrep.org/certifications.htm

Industrial Hygiene: Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) http://www.abih.org/

Emergency Management: Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) http://www.iaem.com/index.htm

Hazardous Materials: Certified Hazardous Material Manager (CHMM) http://www.ihmm.org/index.cfm and / or Registered Hazardous and Chemical Material Manager (RHCMM) http://www.nrep.org/certifications.htm

Quality: Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Inspector (CQI) and several other quality-related areas http://www.asq.org/certification/index.html

[cougar015]

What qualification is need to perform and document a radiological survey? Does it have to be a ANSI qualified tech?

[Chimera]

What qualification is need to perform and document a radiological survey? Does it have to be a ANSI qualified tech?

Every place I've ever worked requires the survey be signed by a Senior Tech.  A Junior may perform the survey and may even write up the survey "under direction" of a Senior, but the Senior's signature is required on the final forms.  How it actually happens in the field is between the Senior and the Junior.

As a Supervisor, I have often used a senior Junior Tech to do some things but the ultimate responsibility and signature authority were always mine.

[GLW]

What qualification is need to perform and document a radiological survey?.....

authorization from that person responsible for compliance with the license, the station charter, the site certificate, et al,...

that authorization can take on various formats,...

a few formats are prototypical but not necessarily mandated,...

the "responsible person, program owner, et al" is typically a few levels, if not more, above the signing technicians paygrade,...

everything and everybody between the "technician" and the "responsible person, program owner, et al" is,.........well,............ it's a job for somebody(ies),.....

.... Does it have to be a ANSI qualified tech?

no, some times,....

yes, other times,....

[SloGlo]

What qualification is need to perform and document a radiological survey? Does it have to be a ANSI qualified tech?

watt ever the boss says is the needed quals. a.n.s.i. qualed tex are used in power plants. udder places have different  criteria.