Nuclear Monitoring Technician

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A nuclear monitoring technician could...

Overview Listen to this section

Nuclear technology is used to image the human body, destroy cancer cells, sterilize food and medical equipment, create pest or drought-resistant seeds, and to generate power for 1 in 5 U.S. homes and businesses. Nuclear monitoring technicians help to keep the people who work with nuclear technology and the environment safe from excessive radiation exposure. They use special instruments to measure and monitor the radiation levels of workers, work areas and equipment, and they are involved in decontaminating work areas to safe levels. They also educate workers on radiation safety.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Nuclear Monitoring Technician?

1. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
3. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
4. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
5. Operation Monitoring: ? Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

6. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
7. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
8. Instructing: ? Teaching others how to do something.
9. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
10. Quality Control Analysis: ? Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Nuclear Monitoring Technician might do:

• Brief workers on radiation levels in work areas.
• Calculate safe radiation exposure times for personnel using plant contamination readings and prescribed safe levels of radiation.
• Monitor personnel to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure.
• Inform supervisors when individual exposures or area radiation levels approach maximum permissible limits.
• Provide initial response to abnormal events or to alarms from radiation monitoring equipment.
• Determine intensities and types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.
• Instruct personnel in radiation safety procedures and demonstrate use of protective clothing and equipment.
• Collect samples of air, water, gases, or solids to determine radioactivity levels of contamination.
• Analyze samples, such as air or water samples, for contaminants or other elements.
• Determine or recommend radioactive decontamination procedures, according to the size and nature of equipment and the degree of contamination.
• Set up equipment that automatically detects area radiation deviations and test detection equipment to ensure its accuracy.
• Prepare reports describing contamination tests, material or equipment decontaminated, or methods used in decontamination processes.
• Place radioactive waste, such as sweepings or broken sample bottles, into containers for shipping or disposal.
• Decontaminate objects by cleaning with soap or solvents or by abrading with wire brushes, buffing wheels, or sandblasting machines.