NO on the job duties...

[qwerty6621]

Hi I have been reading online about the work some of the NO's typically do and the following is from OPG's website:

"A significant portion of a NO's duties involve performing rounds of their designated area within the plant to check the status of equipment and systems (e.g., pumps, fans, motors, gauges). This type of task requires NOs to detect and assess problems, and provide detailed information to assist Maintenance in repairing equipment (e.g., monitor system pressure, temperatures, water levels, check for leaks and check for the integrity of the equipment)"

I wanted to ask, out of curiosity, what tools and equipment do NO's typically use to "detect and assess" problems...

[ddickey]

Eyes, ears and nose.

[qwerty6621]

Lol, I was hoping more along the lines of a pressure gauge, flow meters, thermocouples...Do operators use any of these instruments or there is a control room which provides them with all this information on pumps, valves, steam generators etc.

[Marlin]

Wasn't there a discussion about I-Pad like devices to record rounds. Lockout tagout devices? Coffee pots .

[ddickey]

Lol, I was hoping more along the lines of a pressure gauge, flow meters, thermocouples...Do operators use any of these instruments or there is a control room which provides them with all this information on pumps, valves, steam generators etc.

I thought your question was in regards to hand held tools and what not. Yes, all the local gauges (temp, flow, press.) in the plant are there to observe. Sight glasses for tank level or oil level. Your plant my have ERCS (Emergency Response Computer System) or something similar that you will trend plant parameters that are important to the out plant. You'll use some sort portable vibration analyzer to take pump and motor vibs for trending purposes, this is usually only done during SP's.

[qwerty6621]

ddickey, thank you for your insight, that was really helpful! I have recently applied to a NO position and I'm still slightly confused as to what, day to day operations of a NO would typically look like.

When you say tank level do you mean, for instance, there is a water reservoir of deuterium and if that water level goes below a certain threshold then you will ask the maintenance team to refill it...I'm making this up as an example, but could you give a specific action that you had to do as an operator on a particular piece of equipment.

[hamsamich]

deuterium?  nothing that fancy.  but water level in the fuel pool has been a problem.   you will take diesel generator oil level for instance.  mostly you will take a set of rounds (oil level, HX water temps) while looking for problems like oil that needs to be wiped up, wiper.  tagging equipment out after re positioning valves and breakers, and supporting maintenance with pms or sometimes doing it yourself, helping with vibration checks on equipment....but mostly rounds and tags.  racking out breakers for the tag-out....

[Nuclear NASCAR]

Hi I have been reading online about the work some of the NO's typically do and the following is from OPG's website:

"A significant portion of a NO's duties involve performing rounds of their designated area within the plant to check the status of equipment and systems (e.g., pumps, fans, motors, gauges). This type of task requires NOs to detect and assess problems, and provide detailed information to assist Maintenance in repairing equipment (e.g., monitor system pressure, temperatures, water levels, check for leaks and check for the integrity of the equipment)"

I wanted to ask, out of curiosity, what tools and equipment do NO's typically use to "detect and assess" problems...

I'm not an operator but I've picked up a few bits of knowledge that may or may not be helpful to your questions. 

The first part of your training will consist of learning the various systems around the plant and what they do individually and how they fit into the overall operation of the plant.  Some portions of this will come easier, some may be more difficult, but the first step in learning to "detect and assess" whether a problem exists or not is to know what proper operation "feels like".  Depending on the system this may be determined by looking at a gauge of some sort installed in said system. 

After awhile it will most likely be done with

Eyes, ears and nose.

as you learn and are more used to your systems and what they are supposed to look, sound, and yes even smell like.  You might notice an oil spot where there wasn't one the last time you made rounds.  You might see something missing, broken, or that just doesn't look right on your rounds.  You will in all likelihood notice a smell that wasn't present the last time you were in an area that alerts you to a change.  Your senses are an invaluable tool, coupled with the knowledge that you gain through training and experience.  Your ears can be the most valuable tool used on the job.  Listening to the experience that the "seasoned" (sounds a little better than old) operators share with you can be the thing that kicks you up a notch as an operator.

Don't stress too much on the minutia of it all ahead of time.  A good day is when you make your rounds, reposition equipment as needed and it seems like a fairly boring day.  A great day, for your mind at least, is when you come across something that through your experience you are able to understand and if needed to solve with some analytical thinking.

A friend likes to use the phrase "I don't need to know how the clock works, I just wanted to know what time it is."  Don't worry about how the clock works yet.  You'll be trained to know that and be able to report what time it is based on that training.