Counting Time

[Druid]

I am looking for some info from other sites (especially DOE).

I am trying to get some JRs promoted to Senior at a DOE site. Management says 3 years, which is fine , but I say that is based on a 2000 hour year (mean 6000 hours for senior) and that overtime should be counted. I have searched Nukeworker and there is an article from 1988, "Acceptable Experience and Training for HP Technicians at Nuclear Power Plants" by Jerry W. Hiatt and William H. Barley. The article which is directed  to power plants basically agrees with my point but up to a maximum of 50 hours a week.

How does your site handle this? Any credit for overtime or strictly by the calendar?

Thanks for any help.

[Rain Man]

Commercial plants, while having no consistency on qualifications, at least use the ANSI 18.1/3.1 standards as a guide.  Their actual requirement will usually be more stringent than those standards.  DOE contractors on the other hand can be all over the board.  Some will use the ANSI standard as a guide, some not.  At times the justification for a qualified HP on a DOE contract may be questionable but the prime contract has justified their rationale to the powers that be.  One thing for certain:  there is no universal standard for HPs whether commercial or DOE.  Some commercial plants have been burned on the overtime interpretation.  When I used to do steam machines it was 2000 hrs./yr whether you worked 2000 or 4000 hours.  That was site specific but you will probably find most will not stray to far from 2K hrs.

[metalman40]

DOE has no definition for Jr or Sr HP. They have RCTs and trainee's. Sometimes certain Labs and sites will use the terms Jr and Sr but nothing in the DOE Regs supports this. To Be an RCT requires training and passing a qualification exam, followed by an oral board. The sites define the process for each location.

SRS used to require the Core prior to starting work then a board within a year. BNL will Let someone with Sr certification have 6 months to take the exam and a year for the board.

I haven't found anything in the DOE regs that requires a minimum time to qualify as an RCT. So the site is free to require what they want.

[Druid]

OK, some more explanation.

I know that DOE doesn't have levels of HP. I have worked DOE for over 10 years.

But at this site the prime contractor pays for JRs and SRs and the HP subcontractor's procedure references ANSI. So I am trying to show them how other places that at least pay lip service to ANSI define a year. Is it 12 months or 2000 hours worked.

[alphadude]

There are several other agencies which define a year and typically its 50 weeks of the year at 40 hours a week.  the hour thing got a thrashing in the 70s and 80s when the RAT companies made overnite SRs- those guys that worked 7 12s and in 13 or so months had their 4000 hours for 18.1 status.   Typically you dont do hp work for 12 hours a day- everyone knows that schedule is filled with many hours of butt time-there was some recognition of a 50 hour week but its hard to prove-

[let-it-ride]

to qualify as an RCT at a DOE site, all that is necesarry is to pass the Core Test. There is a young lady at the NTS who NEVER was an HP or RCT. She passed the test and now she is an RCT, making the same money as me. Oh, I have 17 years experience. Go figure.

[Rennhack]

to qualify as an RCT at a DOE site, all that is necesarry is to pass the Core Test. There is a young lady at the NTS who NEVER was an HP or RCT. She passed the test and now she is an RCT, making the same money as me. Oh, I have 17 years experience. Go figure.

You forgot to add... "But I'm not bitter"

[alphadude]

it sucks getting old

[SloGlo]

druid..... since everybuddy has obviously passed the core, 'n yer jest as obviously tryin to get more cash fer yer bodies, use the 2000 ourz/yeer 'n be dun wid it.  iffen ya gotz to break down inta weeks, ya may hafta talk wid the worker re: amount of hours per job.  iffen there's a question, use 40/wk.  cee why ay!  'n i hoapz yinze gits a big bonus check fer alla dis thrashin around.

[radgal]

Here at ANL we have Level I, II, III and Senior HP technicians.  Pay is different.  Most start off as Level I if no experience, and so on.  Hiring is done by divisions now and one division won't hire anyone as a Sr.  I had 10 yrs and they wanted to hire me Tech III.  Fortunately another Div wanted a Sr to run their show.  Many places its not just hours but months also.  Different things happen over time ex. not working 84 on same thing.

[Rennhack]

Here is a link to that article he mentioned:

Link: http://www.nukeworker.com/other/articles/have_enough_time.htm