Nuclear Monitoring Technicians

Collect and test samples to monitor results of nuclear experiments and contamination of humans, facilities, and environment.

Job Task

• Determine or recommend radioactive decontamination procedures, according to the size and nature of equipment and the degree of contamination.
• Decontaminate objects by cleaning with soap or solvents or by abrading with wire brushes, buffing wheels, or sandblasting machines.
• Enter data into computers in order to record characteristics of nuclear events and locating coordinates of particles.
• Instruct personnel in radiation safety procedures, and demonstrate use of protective clothing and equipment.
• Observe projected photographs to locate particle tracks and events, and compile lists of events from particle detectors.
• Place radioactive waste, such as sweepings and broken sample bottles, into containers for disposal.
• Prepare reports describing contamination tests, material and equipment decontaminated, and methods used in decontamination processes.
• Scan photographic emulsions exposed to direct radiation in order to compute track properties from standard formulas, using microscopes with scales and protractors.
• Set up and operate machines that cut, lap, and polish test pieces, following blueprints, x-ray negatives, and sketches.
• Calibrate and maintain chemical instrumentation sensing elements and sampling system equipment, using calibration instruments and hand tools.
• Collect samples of air, water, gases, and solids in order to determine radioactivity levels of contamination.
• Determine intensities and types of radiation in work areas, equipment, and materials, using radiation detectors and other instruments.
• Immerse samples in chemical compounds in order to prepare them for testing.
• Inform supervisors when individual exposures or area radiation levels approach maximum permissible limits.
• Monitor personnel in order to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure.
• Operate manipulators from outside cells to move specimens into and out of shielded containers, to remove specimens from cells, or to place specimens on benches or equipment work stations.
• Place irradiated nuclear fuel materials in environmental chambers for testing, and observe reactions through cell windows.
• Provide initial response to abnormal events and to alarms from radiation monitoring equipment.
• Set up equipment that automatically detects area radiation deviations, and test detection equipment in order to ensure its accuracy.
• Test materials' physical, chemical, or metallurgical properties, using equipment such as tensile testers, hardness testers, metallographic units, micrometers, and gauges.
• Weigh and mix decontamination chemical solutions in tanks, and immerse objects in solutions for specified times, using hoists.
• Calculate safe radiation exposure times for personnel, using plant contamination readings and prescribed safe levels of radiation.
• Confer with scientists directing projects in order to determine significant events to monitor during tests.

Looking for a job in Nuclear Monitoring Technicians? Check out these great job search websites. Thousands of job opportunities and reseach for a new career! Includes job search websites from Australia and internationally