Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment.
• Respond to system or unit abnormalities, diagnosing the cause, and recommending or taking corrective action.
• Direct the collection and testing of air, water, gas, or solid samples to determine radioactivity levels or to ensure appropriate radioactive containment.
• Conduct inspections or operations outside of control rooms as necessary.
• Dispatch orders or instructions to personnel through radiotelephone or intercommunication systems to coordinate auxiliary equipment operation.
• Respond to system or unit abnormalities, diagnosing the cause, and recommending or taking corrective action.
• Note malfunctions of equipment, instruments, or controls and report these conditions to supervisors.
• Direct measurement of the intensity or types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials.
• Monitor all systems for normal running conditions, performing activities such as checking gauges to assess output or the effects of generator loading on other equipment.
• Review and edit standard operating procedures.
• Operate nuclear power reactors in accordance with policies and procedures to protect workers from radiation and to ensure environmental safety.
• Respond to system or unit abnormalities, diagnosing the cause, and recommending or taking corrective action.
• Supervise technicians' work activities to ensure that equipment is operated in accordance with policies and procedures that protect workers from radiation and ensure environmental safety.
• Authorize actions to correct identified operational inefficiencies or hazards so that operating efficiency is maximized and potential environmental issues are minimized.
• Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities.
• Develop or implement actions such as lockouts, tagouts, or clearances to allow equipment to be safely repaired.
• Record operating data, such as the results of surveillance tests.
• Participate in nuclear fuel element handling activities, such as preparation, transfer, loading, or unloading.
• Adjust controls to position rod and to regulate flux level, reactor period, coolant temperature, or rate of power flow, following standard procedures.
• Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment.
• Note malfunctions of equipment, instruments, or controls and report these conditions to supervisors.
• Direct reactor operators in emergency situations, in accordance with emergency operating procedures.
• Authorize maintenance activities on units or changes in equipment or system operational status.

Skills

• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

Abilities

• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

Knowledge

• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

More than 1 year on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

U.S. Annual Salary

122610/yr

U.S. Hourly Wage

58.95/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

40

Yearly Projected Openings

0

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Perseverance
• Stress Tolerance
• Self-Control
• Achievement Orientation
• Cautiousness
• Integrity

Tools

• Air compressors
• Air exhausters
• Air samplers or collectors
• Borescope inspection equipment
• Conductivity meters
• Desktop computers
• Digital camcorders or video cameras
• Dosimeters
• Evaporative coolers
• Footwear covers
• Gamma counters
• Gas turbine control panels
• Generator control or protection panels
• Hot cell remote handling equipment
• Ion exchange equipment
• Leak testing equipment
• Level sensors or transmitters
• Nuclear fuel element failure detection systems
• Nuclear fuel rod
• Nuclear reactor control rod systems
• Nuclear reactor earthquake instrumentation
• Personal computers
• Protective coveralls
• Protective gloves
• Radiation detectors
• Radioactive waste disposal systems
• Respirators
• Two way radios
• Water pumps
• Water samplers
• Water softening accessories
• pH meters

Technology

• Business intelligence and data analysis software
• Calendar and scheduling software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Development environment software
• Document management software
• Industrial control software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software