Did/do you regret getting out

[rlbinc]

rlbinc, how did you like working for the NRC?

Mike

I was licensed by the NRC at Clinton. I didn't work for the NRC in the classical sense. Although during an enforcement investigation in 1997, I was throughly convinced that I did work for them.

The talk with the NRC Regional Administrator included something about "the unique relationship the NRC maintains with its licensees" while it was painfully apparent that I was on the receiving end in that relationship.

[Preciousblue1965]

To bring the thread back on topic, Do I regret getting out?

Never in a million years.  I have often thought about what it would be like to go back in with some of the knowledge I have now about certain things, but I am costantly reminded about all the things that helped make my decision to get out.  Are there things that I miss?  Absolutely, a lot of which are very similar to a previous post by someone else.  But the bottom line is that..

-I get to sleep in my own bed EVERY SINGLE night.
-If someone wants me to be at work just in case something happens or on a holiday or weekend, it is going to cost them and I will get paid for it.
-If life truly gets crappy at this job, I can switch to a new career without having to wait YEARS.
-My personal and family life isn't required to be a secondary consideration when it comes to my job.
-My bosses actually understand that I am an asset that can leave at anytime, therefore actually try to make life bearable rather than treat me like and indentured servant that may or may not stick around after 6 years.  Throw some money at him and hope, if not OH WELL.

I may not make as much as some of you NLOs or other guys, but I can say that I get paid rediculously well for the amount of work I actually have to do.  A job with little to no stress, you can't get that in the Navy.

[JustinHEMI05]

Way off topic here and I'm sorry, but how do transients work in commercial plants?  Does it happen when "Gray's Anatomy" comes on, or do other transient conditions take place?  You all know the NNPP transients I am familiar with, and I just wonder how transients work in a big kids' plant.  Seasonal?  Time of day?  Do you feel it when a plant has to trip a generator 100 miles away?

From what I have seen.... SLOW. There is no AIII! out here.

Justin

Edited to add NORMAL transients that I have seen. Abnormal is another story.

[Fermi2]

I've been in 4 major transients. They all happened FAST and none quite fit into any Abnormal Procedure so it was all rather fun. Only one was scary though. It was the Hydrogen transient at Fermi. I was the Unit Supervisor for that. One of the other members of this board was my Control Room Operator during that event. He did a darn good job.
The others all had something to do with either the Feedwater or Heater Drains Systems. None were cookie cutter and all were memorable because of the thinking the ROs, Unit Supervisors, and I had to do in order to stabilize the plant.

I've yet to have a transient on Dayshift but that's simply luck of the draw I think.

As for your last question, it depends on how heavily loaded the grid is, the capacity of the tripping generator, and how strongly you are connected to the grid where the generator is.\


A few weeks ago I saw a frequency oscillation caused by a generator that tripped in southern Georgia. You won't know where it happened, the grid operator has to tell you, that is unless it's your generator that's doing the misbehaving.

Mike

[Preciousblue1965]

Always hate those darn reactor gnomes.  Always playing around at the worst possible time.  Oh BZ love the quote, gotta love Red Foreman. 

[wlrun3@aol.com]

   ...elite group of reactor gnomes perform hot loop nozzle dam insertion...

   ...subsequent innovative action by plant operators prevent pump cavitation and compromise of time to boil criterion...

   ...stability of the grid, life blood of the industrialized world, is maintained...

   ...all is right with the world...

[Fermi2]

I have yet to see anything elite about nuclear power, as for inserting nozzle dams there's nothing elite about it.

As for innovative action, this is not an innovative industry and if you're gotten close to pump boil criteria you might as well start explaining to plant management what innovative F Up you authorized that got you there.

Mike

[Preciousblue1965]

what are you talking about, no commercial nuclear power plant would ever do something innovative like remove almost all of their safety features, operate the plant in a condition that was never supposed to be operated in, pull out more rods than were ever supposed to, let alone end up blowing the vessel containment lid hundreds of feet in the air and contaminating half of Europe in the process. 

Oh wait....

[Fermi2]

That wasn't operators being innovative, that was actually all proceduralized in a special test.

Mike

[wlrun3@aol.com]

  


..."I deviated from procedure 3 times when I was in the Navy and got commended all three times because I realized the procedure would not work for the situation I was in"...

  ...innovative...



   

[Preciousblue1965]

That wasn't operators being innovative, that was actually all proceduralized in a special test.

Mike

Touche`.  Okay someone got innovative in their test procedure.  Can we say Special Standing Orders?

[Fermi2]

 


..."I deviated from procedure 3 times when I was in the Navy and got commended all three times because I realized the procedure would not work for the situation I was in"...

   ...innovative...



     

Not at all, it's utilizing your training and I would submit, in most cases like this it was probably well known the procedure didn't work to begin with, so why didn't anyone change it?

[Gamecock]

 


..."I deviated from procedure 3 times when I was in the Navy and got commended all three times because I realized the procedure would not work for the situation I was in"...

   ...innovative...



     

You must have been on the 'Prise.

[Preciousblue1965]

No because if he was on the 'Prise he would have still been in the Navy, thus he would not have been "commended" for deviating from procedure, but rather "disqualified pending upgrade" for not following procedure. 

[JustinHEMI05]

This quote (of BZ is from another thread) used by Wlrun3 is available below.

This is the thread marker:
http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,13093.msg71620.html#msg71620

Wlrun3 uses your own quotes to prove or disprove consistency.  Or to get a clarification.  Or to praise you.  Or to discredit you.  I never know sometimes.  He has the highest "Cryptic Advantage" of us all.

Jason

LOL wow. But does he have a photographic memory too? I mean... that was said by BZ back in jan. Impressive though!

Justin

[Preciousblue1965]

He reminds me of the mentor character in "Mystery Men" called the "Sphynx" or somethign like.  Very circular in advice.  Scary.

[Preciousblue1965]

Not at all, it's utilizing your training and I would submit, in most cases like this it was probably well known the procedure didn't work to begin with, so why didn't anyone change it?

Well don't you know, they have to wait until they get a few more procedures they have to change in order to make it cost effective.  Until then "tribal knowledge" will work just fine until someone screws it up.  Just refer to the EWS pocketbrain for the necessary information.  Oh wait this was a commercial plant, nevermind.

[Preciousblue1965]

I'm a Ex-Navy Nuke.  I can't help it.  I was created this way.  Its not my fault I recall ALL conversations online.  I have OCD.

At least you don't have OCD/ADD where you continuously change what you obsess about.

I understand the "I was created this way" I STILL quit talking when I hear anyone start talking over an intercom whether it be Wal-Mart or the Shop I work in.  I accidently spilled some water on my kitchen floor the other night.  I looked at my wife, I smiled, Walked away, Ignored the problem, Made up a story as to why I needed to leave the area, and Stuck to that story.  Wife none to happy. 

[Fermi2]

Yeah and later in my career I realized I had worked around the procedure the other times I had used it. That's the difference in being young and dumb at 25 and having a clue at 40

Given I knew exactly what I'd do if the situation came up I'd hardly call it innovative and I'd I wouldn't say I my best to correct that which I knew was defective.


Mike

[wlrun3@aol.com]

LOL wow. But does he have a photographic memory too? I mean... that was said by BZ back in jan. Impressive though!

Justin

   ...yes...

[wlrun3@aol.com]

He reminds me of the mentor character in "Mystery Men" called the "Sphynx" or somethign like.  Very circular in advice.  Scary.

   ...sydney carton, tale of two cities, dickens...

[PapaBear765]

-I get to sleep in my own bed EVERY SINGLE night.

This one guy who got out from my boat put it: "I get my own rack every night, and if I hot-rack, it's a good thing."  Couldn't argue with that.