Posted: March 4th, 2021

Provide a 50-75 word discussion reply to the following post below. Finding opportunities in the Energy Industry

 

What aspects of the job interest you? What type of upward mobility  does this job provide? Where do you see yourself five or ten years after  you first start the job?

The job I’m looking at and would like to work towards is a Nuclear  Regulatory Commission Health Physicist.  This job interests me because  it combines my experience with nuclear power plants, radiation  monitoring and mixed (hazardous and radioactive) waste storage and  disposal.  I believe that, because of the inspection and policies  required for this job, upward mobility would include policy writing for  the NRC.  I could see this job lasting for 5 to 10 years before I’d move  on to policy writing.

What are some of the job responsibilities described for this position?

Job responsibilities for a Health Physicist include the following:

Review license applications for all uses of byproduct, source and special nuclear material other than nuclear power production.
Perform routine and complex inspections of operating and/or  decommissioning reactor facilities, including ISFSI to observe and  assure conformance to NRC rules and regulations.
Perform routine planned and reactive inspections of materials  licensees to ascertain conformity with design and other criteria,  evaluate the adequacy of licensee controls and provisions for  radiological and environmental safety.  
Recommend enforcement action with regional management approval when  inspection findings indicate a significant violation of the license or  NRC rules and regulations
Prepare inspection reports to document whether the facility is being  operated safely, the licensee’s management control program is  effective, and regulatory requirements are being met.

(USAjobs, 2020)

What types of training or education will prepare you for the job?  Once you acquire the job, what type of training or education will  prepare you to advance in your position?

Education and training requirements for this job are:

Knowledge of the principles, theories and practices in the field of  health physics and radiation safety, and in the implementation of  programs associated with the use of        byproduct, source or special  nuclear materials in the areas of medical, industrial, academic,  decommissioning (material use or reactor operations), or Independent  Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSIs).
Demonstrated ability to perform evaluation and analysis of  radiological health hazards, or remediation of either byproduct, source  or special nuclear material.
Demonstrated knowledge of NRC rules and regulations related to the  radiation protection aspects in the licensing and inspection of  byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials.
Demonstrated ability to present technical information both orally and in writing.
Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30  semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science,  chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus OR Combination  of education and experience — courses as shown in A above, plus  appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health  physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate  experience and other education that provided an understanding of  sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described  above.

(USAjobs.com, 2020)

Give an example of a work activity which may require the skill sets of multiple crafts mentioned above.

The combination of education and experience for this job would cover  a range of work activities, but the focus on health physics and  radiological science specifically would lend itself towards the types of  inspections I did as Mixed Waste lead at Kings Bay.  We had areas of  our radiologically controlled building where materials that were both  hazardous (lead, cadmium, chromium, etc) and radioactive, where stored  until shipment.  Because the equipment or material covered both of these  descriptors, a basic understanding of radiological controls was  required, as well as a thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) radiation  monitoring device.  This also covered the potential of an emergency,  like a radioactive spill, where potentially radioactive substances are  found outside of their designated areas, and immediate actions would  need to be taken.  From there, a list of standards for that area,  including cleanliness, storage and labeling requirements, were assessed  and annotated, potentially with specific critiques or areas for  improvement.  A follow-up report for this inspection would then be made  and either posted or sent to the appropriate leadership.

USAjobs.com (2020). Health Physicist: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Retrieved from: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/574548300

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