Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

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

Skills

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

Abilities

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

Knowledge

• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• 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.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• 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.
• 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.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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:

• Attention to Detail
• Integrity
• Dependability
• Stress Tolerance
• Analytical Thinking
• Adaptability/Flexibility

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