Pay for Junior Decon Tech

[TNman]

Hello I was curious to find out what I could expect to make per hour and per diem as a junior deconnner?

[foreverajr]

Granted, it was a few years ago when I took my one and only Jr. Decon job, but I recall making $12 hourly and no per diem.  That was the best I could do with <6 months JR HP time and no Decon time.  I'm sure the rates have gone up some since then, but the per diem thing differs from plant to plant.  Good luck.

[alphadude]

If you get perdiam is usually hovers around the CONUS rate or less. As for jr deconner, since there isnt an ANSI qual for that the pay would be in debate.  I guess a Sr. deconner has done to become a Sr?.  Entry level pay  is around $10 an hour or less for "jr decon".

[ageoldtech]

I remember getting 3.50 per hour and $37 a day. I thought I had hit the jackpot.

[JassenB]

Last fall at my brief stint at a junior decon job during outage I was getting $9.50/hour plus $85/day.

[ageoldtech]

JassenB $9.50 and diem, thats very good money for a Jr. decon position.

[Camella Black]

I remember getting 3.50 per hour and $37 a day. I thought I had hit the jackpot.

Showing your age? I remember when Henry started out at Turkey Point as a junior tech, he made 3.50 and $30 per day working 7 - 12's. We thought our ship had come in 

[ageoldtech]

Yes, I remember Henry from those days. Times sure have changed, back then the pay was decent and we really didn't work all that hard. Now days it's more with less.
8)Tell Henry that Hambone says howdie.

[Camella Black]

Hambone, will do 

[atomicarcheologist]

If you get perdiam is usually hovers around the CONUS rate or less. As for jr deconner, since there isnt an ANSI qual for that the pay would be in debate.  I guess a Sr. deconner has done to become a Sr?.  Entry level pay  is around $10 an hour or less for "jr decon".

What is the difference between a Jr and Sr deconner, technically speaking? 

[alphadude]

who you are related too or know, thats the difference. i guess if you took a NEU test and didnt have the time you could be a deconner? heck if i know??

[ageoldtech]

I was once a jr. decon back in 81. It works about the same way as becoming a Sr. HP, you got to have the weeks, and the pay is better.

[deconcuddles]

I'm a SR deconner and have been in the business now for 16 years.  Things sure have changed!  Remember making 5.50 an hour and 35.50 deim.  Guess as a Jr deconner you lived cheaper than a Sr.  Oh well, the pay and deim have come up some.  All the pay depends on the plant and the contract.  First 6 months are the hardest.  Good luck!!! 

[JassenB]

Based on my own experience, I have to suggest that instead of trying to get into the business as a junior deconner, get some kollege edumacashion under your belt. Rad safety programs are few and far between, health & safety programs are more common. Get some rad training, your 40-hour HAZWOPER, some hands on IH tech experience, and leave your options open.

Pay in the hazardous waste cleanup field is slightly better than nuke and there is a lot more work available. Becoming an OHST (Occupational Health & Safety Technologist) can open a broader scope of doors than sticking strictly to the rad field. Once you've done haz waste cleanup, nuclear decon looks like pretty lazy work. If you *do* do outage decon, don't go without per diem - it's not worth it otherwise.

Of course, depending on your age, I also highly suggest a tour of duty as a Navy nuke.

[SloGlo]

What is the difference between a Jr and Sr deconner, technically speaking? 

i dunno whuts current, but it usta be (back ina 90s) that a jr made about 2/3 of a sr deconnerz wage, diem wuz subject to site, but da mostest impotent thingie (technically speaking) wuz the sr deconner hadda tell da jr deconner which side of the scratchy pad went down.

[RDTroja]

i dunno whuts current, but it usta be (back ina 90s) that a jr made about 2/3 of a sr deconnerz wage, diem wuz subject to site, but da mostest impotent thingie (technically speaking) wuz the sr deconner hadda tell da jr deconner which side of the scratchy pad went down.

Now that actually made me laugh out loud. Thank you.

[alphadude]

what the  "H E  double hocky sticks" is a jr deconner?

[lowlrc]

My first jr decon job was $5 & 30. I was fresh out of Bobby Leonard's Nuclear High School in 86' working 6-12' taking home $650 a week.(taxes? I have to pay taxes?) Thought I was going to be rich some day. Silly me.. 

[RDTroja]

what the  "H E  double hocky sticks" is a jr deconner?

Would it be less confusing if it was called 'entry level deconner"? Like for HP techs, there are juniors, seniors, and supervisors in the deconner world. Work as a junior for a while, become a senior... you know the drill.

[alphadude]

i know the drill, there is no standard for junior deconner thats the point. a deconner is either non-qualified, qualified or qualified and competent.

[Eric_Bartlett]

what the  "H E  double hocky sticks" is a jr deconner?

A Junior Decon Tech varies from site to site depending on technical & contractual specifications.  Most sites go by a 2 yr rule - anyone with less than 2 yrs experience in decontamination or related work would be considered a Junior Decon Tech, greater than 2 yrs would be a Senior Decon Tech.  As stated most go by this standard, some don't.  A couple of plants consider 1 yr the cut off mark between Jr and SrDecon, and others 3 yrs.   Basically as a general rule of thumb most plants base their Decon qualification requirements loosely around their HP requirements, most not all.  So if a site requires HP's to be 3.1 (3 yrs exp) then normally they require the Decon Techs to have 3 yrs exp to be a Sr. ,likewise site is an 18.1 site, then the Deconners only need 2 yrs experience to be a Sr, anything less in experience quals as a Jr Deconner.   

As far as what wages are for a Jr Decon Tech - they vary from a low of around $9 or so an hour to a high of 16 or so an hour, like with HP's the rates all vary depending on actual experience, returnee status, etc.  Perdiem is usually, not always, the same as what the HP's get.    Hope this helped clarify things.

[Roll Tide]

Hope this helped clarify things.

Actual answers, real numbers, and mention of ranges similar to HP. I would say that should just about answer everything from the thread. Thanks Eric, but we could have meandered for another dozen posts instead! 

[alphadude]

nice policy, with plenty of loop holes-

the liabilities are just as I said- nonqualified, qualified, qualified competent-  no matter what years you have. You do not let someone with three years of mopping the cavity handle a 40,000 psi hydro laser. Deconners should be hired for documented experience and training cards not time in service. This will lessen any liability the utility will assume because of co-employer responsibilities.

Some one may have all equipment quals signed off and a year experience-this would be the so called "Sr" vs. someone who may have mopped his way to success.   

SAT

The assumption with HPs and operators is that they are qualified competent after a certain time- no such standard exists for the decon industry-either you are qualified/competent or you are not, which is a shame-nothing more dangerous than a deconner with a HEPA vac from the cavity!!!

Every time i contracted in deconners they had to be as qualified as plant personnel with documentation and testing or specifically qualified on the equipment they were using. Otherwise, mop the floor.

[RDTroja]

nice policy, with plenty of loop holes-

the liabilities are just as I said- nonqualified, qualified, qualified competent-  no matter what years you have. You do not let someone with three years of mopping the cavity handle a 40,000 psi hydro laser. Deconners should be hired for documented experience and training cards not time in service. This will lessen any liability the utility will assume because of co-employer responsibilities.

Some one may have all equipment quals signed off and a year experience-this would be the so called "Sr" vs. someone who may have mopped his way to success.  

SAT

The assumption with HPs and operators is that they are qualified competent after a certain time- no such standard exists for the decon industry-either you are qualified/competent or you are not, which is a shame-nothing more dangerous than a deconner with a HEPA vac from the cavity!!!

Every time i contracted in deconners they had to be as qualified as plant personnel with documentation and testing or specifically qualified on the equipment they were using. Otherwise, mop the floor.

Talk about loop holes -- If you are assuming that operators and HPs are 'qualified competent' after a certain time, you have fallen into a worse trap than giving a deconner a loaded hydrolaser... or a HEPA vac. That is why tests were developed for the postiions that really need a measured degree of competence such as HPs and operators. Deconners are supposed to be covered by HPs when they do their jobs. The most 'qualified' deconners are meter qualified to dose rate trash bags they collect. If you put any deconner in a position that he can get into trouble with a HEPA vac from the cavity, it is your own fault. No matter how qualified as deconners, they are still required to have HP coverage.

I have said before many times that a good crew of deconners is worth their weight in gold. But I would never send them off to any job that could get them in trouble and they would know full well what is expected of them before they start a job (like any other worker). The more experienced crew members lead and coach the less experienced and the good get weeded from the bad. Deconners are a skilled labor force and they learn their craft by experience, not by qualification and training. Trying to impose a qualification process is expensive and unnecessary. The vast majority of the tasks they perform are field taught skills and tested by field observation. Granted, anyone given control of a potentailly deadly machine like a hyrolaser needs training and some sort of demonstration of skills to be allowed to use it. But that is a specific skill that carries a significant safety risk. So is using a safety harness, which requires training and testing at each site and is not necessarily transferrable from one site to another. Having a 'qual card' for it would be as useless once a person left the site where he or she got it as having a qual card for a safety harness... each site would want proff that they can perform to the standards at that site and would (and should) make them re-qualify.

[Eric_Bartlett]

nice policy, with plenty of loop holes-
the liabilities are just as I said- nonqualified, qualified, qualified competent-  no matter what years you have. You do not let someone with three years of mopping the cavity handle a 40,000 psi hydro laser. Deconners should be hired for documented experience and training cards not time in service. This will lessen any liability the utility will assume because of co-employer responsibilities.
Some one may have all equipment quals signed off and a year experience-this would be the so called "Sr" vs. someone who may have mopped his way to success.   
SAT
The assumption with HPs and operators is that they are qualified competent after a certain time- no such standard exists for the decon industry-either you are qualified/competent or you are not, which is a shame-nothing more dangerous than a deconner with a HEPA vac from the cavity!!!
Every time i contracted in deconners they had to be as qualified as plant personnel with documentation and testing or specifically qualified on the equipment they were using. Otherwise, mop the floor.

Not my policy, or the companies - this "policy" was in place amongst the Utilities long before I started in this business and will probably be here long after I'm gone...

as far hiring based on documented experience and training cards that's what we try to do - if a site requests that Decon techs have a certain type experience for a crew then that's what we try to find - if they give us a blanket order for a crew then that's what we give them, a blanket crew.  From there the individuals should be getting placed by the supervisors where they'll do the best. Just like with HP's, the Deconners will get assigned to areas and work details that the experience detailed in their resumes would reflect.  Yes, I'll admit that some times, as with HP's, deconners are put into areas and work crews that they have never worked and into situations that they've never dealt with prior. That's all part of the job and most would call it gaining more experience and becoming qualified to handle more types of situations. 

As far as handling any type of Hydro Laser, Bartlett, and I can only speak for Bartlett and no other company, has a its own training program that everyone that is assigned to a hydro lasing team must go thru, from the pump and hose techs to the one wielding the wand - no training, no go on the crew -

Lets face it the number of techs in this business has dwindled in the past 15 or so years, thereby weakening the ranks of what you consider "qualified Deconners" - the only way to get others qualified is to give them the training and the work, sometimes those come hand in hand, OJT -

well enough of my ranting - I'll admit not everyone out there is going to be satisfied with everyone we as vendors supply for whatever reason - all we as vendors can do is strive to put the best qualified technicians into the positions given to us by our clients to fill based upon our client's experience and contractual requirements.

Eric