NukeWorker Forum
Career Path => Training, Tests & Education => Topic started by: TN_LELT on Jun 30, 2011, 09:30
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Does anyone know what ANSI standard is applicable to Chemistry Technicians in the commercial nuclear field? I have been hearing one of my supervisors at work talking about how he is an ANSI certified chemistry technician who became a supervisor, but when I questioned him as to what it meant to be ANSI certified he didn't really give me a straight answer. Being the new guy and not really being satisfied with the answer that the supervisor gave me, I started asking some of my coworkers how one goes about gaining his ANSI certification as a chem tech. None of them had any idea, but all assumed that they were ANSI certified as well. I assume that after I complete the site specific training program that this will meet the requirements for the certification.
This leads me to my next question: Is Navy ELT experience sufficient to meet the ANSI requirement for chemistry technicians? If not, what more does one need to do to gain this ANSI certification, and is there a formal process (i.e. documenting hours and training and submitting this documentation to a governing organization)?
Long story short, I'm an ex-ELT (6 yrs) with 1 yr of research radiochem lab experience and ~5 months at a commercial site, and I'm just wondering if perhaps I already meet the ANSI standard for certification as a chem tech. I know I'll still have to complete the site specific training program, I'm just trying to resolve this issue in my mind for my own edification.
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ANSI 18.1or 3.1 depending on plant
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http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,4395.0.html
This link is aimed at RP techs, but some of the info may help you understand how the ANSI standards work...
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ANSI does not issue Certificates. They are not a certifying agency. ANSI develops and publishes standards.
The ANSI Standards for technicians at nuclear plants is a list of criteria for who may perform the job without direct supervision. Anyone can perform the work under supervision. the time that you spend working under supervision is the time that counts toward your meeting the standard.
Your ELT time is probably worth a year.
Your research lab time is another year.
Five months is five months. Figure another 7 months to meet the ANSI N-3.1 standard. Then maybe you can apply for a promotion to supervisor.
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Thanks to all who replied. That pretty much clarified my confusion about the issue. I wasn't sure if the 3.1 standard applied across the board or if it was HP specific. After further review, it looks like I may already meet the standard after I add my degree into the mix. I'll be sure to check with the training folks at work to ensure that I'm not off target with that though before I start listing it on my resume.
Thanks again for the input.
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I'm a Chem tech at a plant and I have now completed all of my training and qualifications. I'm been an official Chem tech for 1.5 years. The training document at my site says that in order to be considered a "Journeyman Tech" a number of requirements must be met "according to ANSI-N18.1". One of them is 24 months of plant expereince. My promotion has been delayed due to having only been a tech for 1.5 years. However I interned in Chemistry for a year prior to that and performed Chem tech work. Should my intern time count? My site specific document only says 24 months of nuke plant expereince. I'm just curious to know what ANSI-N18.1 says about it and how specific it is.
Thanks
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It's however YOUR site interprets it, and whatever YOUR site gives credit for.
ANSI makes recommendations -
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First on the list should be to learn to spell.
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First on the list should be to learn to spell.
Is there irony there since your handle should have been "SCmasterchief"...............or are you truly a master chef? Just wondering and giggling slightly.
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It's however YOUR site interprets it, and whatever YOUR site gives credit for.
ANSI makes recommendations -
Not exactly true, Dad. ANSI makes standards. That's what they do. Those standards are incorporated by reference into the site's license.
This article doesn't specifically address Chemistry Techs, it is written for RP's. But there is some relevant info in there.
http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,4395.msg28914/topicseen.html#msg28914
Still, although ANSI standards are pretty much free from interpretation, sites still have a lot of room to determine what experience and training you have that actually counts toward meeting them.
My advice is to ask you union steward for some assistance. It's probably somewhere in the contract - another inflexible document - what counts and what doesn't count.
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You're right, ANSI makes standards. But plants treat them as recommendations for minimum qualification. And ANSI does not enforce / police / inspect / etc. INPO / NRC just makes sure you aren't accepting "less than" the standard you say you are going to meet.
Yes, it is entirely up to the utility how they interpret the experience. Pay and promotion are HR issues, and HR and line management decides what counts as experience. An internship may not count because the work done during an internship is often not independent / responsible level stuff.
Again, you gotta talk to your site people. It's entirely up to them.