New to Nuke

[Kwestp]

I am going to my first outage and I'm not sure what to expect. What to pack, what to wear the the plant. Any advise would be very helpful and appreciative. Is there anything I should pack that I wouldn't think about because I don't have the experience? How hard is the test? Should I study for it?

Thank you in advance!

[jowlman]

It would help to know what plant and what your job will be and what kind of living arrangements.

[Kwestp]

I will be at Limerick for decon. And I'll be in a hotel.

[Smart People]

Things that rookie nukeworkers should know

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,10706.0.html

A little dated but still good info.

[Kwestp]

Thank you! That helped a lot. I didn't see anything on there as what the dress is when going to work.

[Smart People]

Most plants are normal work attire and/or scrubs. composite toe safety shoes will get you through the metal detectors.

The last time I was at Limerick (2012), the schedule was 21 days no days off. So prepare for that.

Once you get there, expect at least a week of inprocessing and training. Possibly two for the newbies.

[Ksheed]

The plant should issue you a few sets of scrubs. Being a deconner that should be your daily clothing. For safety shoes I would recommend safety toed sneakers over boots. The shoes will be easier when dressing and undressing in contaminated areas. They will also be more comfortable since you will likely be on your feet a lot. You should verify all this info with your site recruiter.

[RDTroja]

When I was at Limerick (granted that was more than a few years ago) they had blue scrubs for the masses and green for RP and they expected you to be in your scrubs as soon as you got in for your shift. That way an RP could be spotted in any crowd from a distance. You would wear your own clothes in and change into your scrubs upon arrival. If you needed to suit up, you were all ready to go.

They also taught everyone in training 'If you have any questions while in the RCA, just ask someone in green scrubs." On my first day, when all I knew was how to get to the Radwaste processing area, a lost group wandering around the reactor building saw me and one of them remembered the instructions from class so they came up to me to ask directions. Fortunately they were looking for the Radwaste facility and I looked like I knew what I was doing even though I almost had to ask them how to get back to the control point.

[Kwestp]

So until I get my scrubs, just boots, jeans, and a tee shirt should be good enough. Is that what I wear for training?

[Fermi2]

Yeah that is pretty much what everyone else wears.

[Ksheed]

So until I get my scrubs, just boots, jeans, and a tee shirt should be good enough. Is that what I wear for training?

Jeans and a t-shirt should be fine to wear to training and to and from site daily. It should go without saying, but.... Make sure the jeans are in good condition; no rips, tears, or covered in grease stains. T-shirts should be in the same condition, in addition they should have sleeves, and no suggestive, course language. Some sites even have rules against wearing clothing that promotes alcohol and tobacco products.

It is acceptable to dress casual, just be smart about it.

Keep in mind that 99% of boots have a shank in the sole. So if you are planning on wearing a pair of work boots or cowboy boots that you currently have you may be taking them off everyday to get through the metal detectors. If you are buying a pair of boots make sure that it specifically says composite toe/composite shank. It only takes a couple of weeks max to get tired of taking off your boots every morning.

[Kwestp]

Thank you for your help. I had bought a pair of Wolverine composite toe boots for that reason only. I'm very excited but on the other hand I'm nervous about the tests I have to take. Is it worth me reading over the study material or will I learn everything I need to know in class?

[Ksheed]

Thank you for your help. I had bought a pair of Wolverine composite toe boots for that reason only. I'm very excited but on the other hand I'm nervous about the tests I have to take. Is it worth me reading over the study material or will I learn everything I need to know in class?

Double check on the boots. Some are made with composite toes but still have a steel shank in the sole. I wear Wolverines but I made sure they were composite shank before buying them. Pull on boots tend to suck when wearing protective clothing, that's my opinion anyways.

The computer based training that is required for access can be a bit overwhelming for a new-to-nuke, but don't psych yourself out. Your average high school grad can pass them. It is basic memorization of common sense stuff. Pay special attention to the numbers and calculations on the Radiation Tests. You have to get an 80% to pass, and you get two attempts. You can take notes when you are reading the material, but you cannot use your notes while testing. After a few years of working in the industry most people can take the tests without reading the material.

[ridgerunner61]

some sites are now requiring "high visibility" clothing as soon as you get out of your vehicle

[GLW]

some sites are now requiring "high visibility" clothing as soon as you get out of your vehicle

when these enhancements become commonplace nobody notices them anymore,...

although they do promote an affirmative check mark in those little boxes on the accident investigation form,...

[Fermi2]

It doesn't hurt to read the material in advance but I wouldn't try to memorize it. The Computer training will have it laid out real nice and the tests are more based on did you pay attention to the training sort of items.

You shouldn't have any problems.

I wore composite shoes and found a composite belt as TVA believed having people look like strippers at the security check point looked good. In other words the equipment was too sensitive.

I do not agree with everyone wearing High visibility clothing just to be onsite. But eh. On the other hand do not wear a black coat on a darking morning.

Trust me based on the questions you ask you will be just fine,.

[Ksheed]

some sites are now requiring "high visibility" clothing as soon as you get out of your vehicle

I have yet to see it go site-wide at the plants I am familiar with. It is common for work being performed outside, particularly on underground work involving heavy equipment. I call this the "trench warfare" jobs. That is one that you should check with your company contact person on. Typically if HI-VIS is a requirement your employer will issue you the necessary items.