the latest job news

I had hesitated in posting anything about the NRC License class being held on the site because I was unsure if I would be in it. The Operations Manager, Sam, had called me in and stated that the SRO positions had all been filled but that he had a RO position available. Don’t misunderstand me, RO is a respectable position, just not what I was looking for. Consider my age, the fact that the program is 18 months long and that I would have to do the entire thing again I was not licensing twice. I had formally declined and had planned to finish my bachelors’ degree and then reapply when on Christmas Eve called me at my tour desk (I was on afternoon shift) and said that he had gotten permission to offer me the SRO job. So, after some soul searching (loosing a lot of overtime), I accepted the job. I’ll continue to blog about the family here but will be keeping you up to date on the class over at www.nukesro.blogspot.com. Come on over and check it out if you like…..

My top ten similarities between Naval and Commercial Nuclear Power

10. The RO’s main responsibility is to keep the core covered and cooled.

9. Things are best when Keff =1.0.

8. It sucks to get crapped up (put in radcon jail).

7. On a turbine generator hot bearing, if after unloading there is not immediate improvement, the bearing emits smoke or shows other signs of trouble, break vacuum and stop the shaft.

6. Two thirds of the energy put in the reactor coolant from the core goes “out the door.”

5. Decay heat is 7% of equilibrium power.

4. IX resin smells (like fish)

3. Xenon, Xenon, Xenon

2. Briefs aren’t

1. The difference between an infant and a nuclear operator is that when you give an infant what it wants, it quits crying.