Returning to HP after 7 years. Any significant changes?

[Drive24]

I'm a former Navy nuke electrician who worked for Bartlett off and on from 1999-2004. I'm an 18.1 level SHP, but want to work my first outage back as a JHP to get my feet wet. I've passed the NE Utilities exam twice, not really concerned about that unless they've changed it substantially. However, it did appear that the Fed was going to change the 10 CFR 20. I've been working in the marine/shipbuilding industry, some coal plant outages, and one wind farm as an electrician, so I'm completely disconnected from the nuclear world x 7 years! Any advice would be deeply appreciated.

[Chimera]

I, too, had taken a "vacation" from the nuke world for several years.  When I came back into the fold, I had to redo my fingerprints, pass the NUF/NEU exam and get over my trepidations as to what all I thought I had forgotten.

Once back in the plant all dressed out in my PCs and a meter hanging off my shoulder, it all came flooding back and I did just fine - well, I thought I did but there might be differing opinions out there.

Really, there ain't nothing for it but to just do it.  Have fun.

Michael

[retread]

I wouldn't worry too much.  Being a Junior, you won't have too much responsibility any way.  It will give you plenty of time to get your skills back.  Put yourself in the back pocket of a Senior who seems to have his/her act together and you should be fine. After all, it's not rocket science.  Good luck!

[Rennhack]

I'm a former Navy nuke electrician who worked for Bartlett off and on from 1999-2004. I'm an 18.1 level SHP, but want to work my first outage back as a JHP to get my feet wet. I've passed the NE Utilities exam twice, not really concerned about that unless they've changed it substantially. However, it did appear that the Fed was going to change the 10 CFR 20. I've been working in the marine/shipbuilding industry, some coal plant outages, and one wind farm as an electrician, so I'm completely disconnected from the nuclear world x 7 years! Any advice would be deeply appreciated.

I would advise you to NOT go back as a Junior, please go back as an 18.1.  It's hard enough to make 3.1 without doing repeats.  You will be fine, nothing has changed.  Just tell your boss that it's 'been a while', and to start you slow.  You'll find that after a shift or two, you would regret NOT starting back as a senior.  Because... they will have you doing senior work anyways.... you may as well get paid for it.

We have free study guides and practice tests in our study section.

[grantime]

I agree with Mike.  Don't go back as a JR.  It really is like riding a bike .  Once you get meter in hand you will know what to do with it. Assuming you did to start with 

[Drive24]

@ Renhack & Grantime- good advice, if only that option were open. I've spent time away in the past, and it is amazing how it all comes right back. I made DAMN good money subcontracting for Northrop/ Grumman and others as an electrician, but once a nuke, always a nuke! I'm looking forward to this.

[Drive24]

Apparently, there are no 18.1 openings available, or else I would go SHP. The goal at this point is to bring all of my quals and background check current. I do understand how the JHP/SHP works though... Perry called me in on an early crew as JHP in 2001, with the promise of "We will upgrade", so I called off a Winter vacation to Mexico to stay in Ohio in January. They balked, and I was more than a little bit ticked.

[btkeele]

Check your PM

[retired nuke]

I'm a former Navy nuke electrician who worked for Bartlett off and on from 1999-2004. I'm an 18.1 level SHP, but want to work my first outage back as a JHP to get my feet wet. I've passed the NE Utilities exam twice, not really concerned about that unless they've changed it substantially. However, it did appear that the Fed was going to change the 10 CFR 20. I've been working in the marine/shipbuilding industry, some coal plant outages, and one wind farm as an electrician, so I'm completely disconnected from the nuclear world x 7 years! Any advice would be deeply appreciated.

With experience and training as an electrician.....
you wanna come back as an HP tech???

[Marlin]

   If you are a traveler and do not want the golden handcuffs of working for a utility or other brick front establishment, multiple skills are a plus. I have met a number of roadies that have fallbacks in other skills or even their own businesses on the side. Some of the disciplines are closely linked HP, waste management and Safety analysis all have the common base of hazardous material. Unrelated second careers are common, my brother owned a bar and traveled the outage circuit for health physics, a Safety Analyst/Rad Engineer built and ran vacation cabins in Idaho, and one of our regular posters has owned a hardwood shop and I believe currently installs hardwood floors with his sons.
   Work on the road has always been a little cyclic keep a fallback if you can.

I left out all the start up bands, singers, and musicians in general I met on the road, made for some very good after work parties. 

I'm a former Navy nuke electrician who worked for Bartlett off and on from 1999-2004. I'm an 18.1 level SHP, but want to work my first outage back as a JHP to get my feet wet. I've passed the NE Utilities exam twice, not really concerned about that unless they've changed it substantially. However, it did appear that the Fed was going to change the 10 CFR 20. I've been working in the marine/shipbuilding industry, some coal plant outages, and one wind farm as an electrician, so I'm completely disconnected from the nuclear world x 7 years! Any advice would be deeply appreciated.

Nukeworker is a very good first stop

[Marlin]

  If you are a traveler and do not want the golden handcuffs of working for a utility or other brick front establishment, multiple skills are a plus. I have met a number of roadies that have fallbacks in other skills or even their own businesses on the side. Some of the disciplines are closely linked HP, waste management and Safety analysis all have the common base of hazardous material. Unrelated second careers are common, my brother owned a bar and traveled the outage circuit for health physics, a Safety Analyst/Rad Engineer built and ran vacation cabins in Idaho, and one of our regular posters has owned a hardwood shop and I believe currently installs hardwood floors with his sons.
  Work on the road has always been a little cyclic keep a fallback if you can.

I left out all the start up bands, singers, and musicians in general I met on the road, made for some very good after work parties.  


Nukeworker is a very good first stop

I forgot to mention one who runs a very fine web site on the side.  

[spentfuel]

However, it did appear that the Fed was going to change the 10 CFR 20.

It changed in 93 and there is rumor of another change comming in a few years.  No biggy that I saw just changing some terminology and adjusting a few exposure limits like 5r down to 2.

sf

[stownsend]

Yesterday, I replied to a post and went off about the worst points of shipbuilding, coal plants and wind farms... It might have sounded a little bit whiney, but there was a story on tonight's local news about a wind tower near Cheyenne which was blown over by straight line winds yesterday. That's a $2.3 million tax write off, I rest my case!

Welcome back.Glad you still have your HP skills.We get paid to find fault and correct it. Also we take the blame when something goes wrong.

[Drive24]

THX! I'm doing well on the practice tests. I took a practice exam COLD- no studying, no calculator, just wanted to identify weak areas... still got a 76. Not too bad for 7 years of cobwebs en la cabeza!