? about wec welding school

[dredgewelder]

on oct 2 i will be graduating from tulsa welding school.5 days later i start a 5 month training program at wec.after grauduiation if i sign a 2000 hr contract at 18 bucks an hour plus overtime and perdiem the training is free and they put me to work with one of the numerous companies westinghouse owns. this is some info incase you are looking to become a welder just google wec welding school and check out their site. i was woundering if anybody on here has gone through the school or woked for westinghouse or affliate companies. things like the pros and cons. what to expect on a nuke job. never worked a heavy industrial job. just welded for a dredging comp. any advice on the subject or just starting out is greatly appericated. and sometime in the future maybe ill have the exp to help another fellow welder out. thank you

[Bob the Welder]

dredgewelder, sounds like you could be looking at a golden opportunity! There's a lot to consider but that is up to you. You need to check out terms and conditions of contract for schooling and employment very carefully and make SURE you understand and can meet them!

I have not worked for Westinghouse but have had there techs around advising and making certain that everything we did maintenance wise on steam generators at PWR nukes was correct. The ones I have met have been very good people.

Something to consider is how well you can tolerate being away from home for long periods of time. Some do well, others have problems----family, girlfriends, homesick, etc. If you work in the nukes you will be in a world of its own. Different way of doing just about everything and it's all serious. Not bad, just different. Extreme safety, security, accountablity----lots of rules to follow. If you are the rebel type you won't make it. You will also need a clean record for security to gain unrestricted access.

In the nukes you could be exposed to high dose rates of radiation. Couple of years ago I got to see the bottom side of a reactor head prepping an EDM cut for NDE. Dressed in a cassie suit, bubble hood, power ventilation and finger rings in addition to regular digital dosimeter. Got 277.5 mrem in 3-1/2 minutes. RP's cut me out of cassie suit and I was able to monitor out with no problem, no personal contamination. Good rad protection workers are worth their weight in gold! The NRC only allows 5 rem (5000 mrem) per year and that rule is strictly enforced but you should not come close to that. Most I have had is about 850 millirem a year but I don't work on the refuel floor.

Don't let this scare you out of a great opportunity. DO make sure you talk to them and make an informed decision. Know the requirements of the job as well as the risks.

I just got done working a nuke and am waiting to get sent to another. Personally I enjoy them. Have to keep your $hit wired tight and follow ALL the rules, after all it's their own world. If you are looking for a challenge, you found a good one.

Good luck Bob.

PS. You won't grow a third eye or an arm out of the middle of your back. At least I haven't-------yet.

[dredgewelder]

thankyou bob the welder

bob it is a good oppertunity.there is a good chance they wont throw me straight in to the nuclear work as they also do nonnuke plants.also they have done my backgrond check and im as clean as a whisle thats something im proud of.as far as following rules and procedures i have noproblem doing what they want when they want it. safety is all ways my number 1 concern and dont like getting hurt or hurting someone else.thankyou for your advice.it was very helpfull. good luck and happy welding