RE: HP a Profession?

["Keeley-1, Jamie" <Jamie.Keeley-1@pp.ksc.nasa.gov>]

Just a quick comment from an Ex- Road Tech.

HP technicians and HP's are quite different from each other indeed.  The
road tech gets the job done, usually efficiently and timely.  Without the HP
road tech workhorse,( and workhorse meaning those poor souls that have to
work 72-84 hours per week to support two households - one on the road, and
one permanent location) not much would get accomplished beyond the paperwork
and theory expertise of a HP.   It has been a sad state for road tech's in
the last few years with  job opportunity diminishing  greatly in the nuclear
power plant industry - hovever, with all of the cross training and hands on
experience in Health Physics and Industrial Hygiene a technician is exposed
to, I would think that hiring an HP technician for some of the jobs I've
seen posted on RADSAFE would be just as beneficial as to hiring a degreed
HP.  Most HP technicians I know and have worked with are either NRRPT
certified, or are working towards a degree in a related field.  The two go
hand in hand, (tech's and HP's) and neither should be disregarded as being a
viable resource for jobs.

Clearly my own opinion.


> ----------
> From: 	RONALD L. SHEPHERD[SMTP:SHEPHRL@GWSMTP.NU.COM]
> Sent: 	Tuesday, February 16, 1999 5:11 AM
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	HP a Profession?
> 
> I must respond to Ms Gawarecki's comments on HP techs.
> I am curious as to whether the HP's you encountered were Site tech's or
> contractor techs?
> Most contractor tech's (road trash) that I know would have been there when
> YOU
> wanted them there.
> They would have been bugging you to work 7 twelve hour days instead of
> what you
> were working.
> If the site procedures allow they would be working with you not shutting
> your
> jobs down.
> 
> As far as this profession goes, it is dying a fairly rapid death for the
> following reasons:
> Power plants shutting down for good
> Reluctance to hire junior HP techs (save money?)
> Increased emphasis on education vs experience ( the only thing more
> dangerous
> than an engineer in a rad area is a Health Physist in a rad area )
> JUST KIDDINGGGGGGGGGGGG
> 
> I think we must make a distinction here because we seem to be getting
> confused
> about Health Physicists and HP Techs.
> 
> They are separate professions and should be handled accordingly.  You
> don't
> need a college educated 'rocket scientist' to go into the field and
> perform HP
> technician duties.  What you need is a person that is experienced at
> working
> with people, can take a survey and understand what it means, a person that
> can
> be a:
> cop...politician...jr scientist...weight
> lifter...EMT...auditor...instrument
> tech...baby sitter...author...counselor...judge of character..
> 
> etc   etc
> 
> But I keep seeing job listings on this list that are increasingly
> requiring a
> degree for performing HP tech duties and that has me concerned because you
> don't learn to be a HP tech in a classroom.  You learn to be a junior HP
> tech
> in a classroom.
> 
> Ron Shepherd
> shephrl@gwsmtp.nu.com
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