Would you do this job?

[trailmix 77]

So someone I know is a driller, in the U.S. - water wells, auger drilling, soil tests etc etc.

The lastest job is at a Nuclear Plant. They are testing the soil for tritons (nuclear waste). Apparently some were found at a site in New England? So now all plants must test for this.

The other facet of this job is that they also have to drill directly under a high voltage power line (the power line for the Nuclear Plant). This person has been a driller for 23 years, in all that time he has never drilled directly under a power line of any sort - it is against policy, the policy is, for domestic power lines - the rig must be a minimum of 20 feet away from the line, to avoid arcing or direct contact.

Question: Would you do this job?

[Scott & Lai 12]

What does it pay?

[trailmix 77]

What does it pay?

$17.50 an hour

[slim 1,533]

No.

Edited: On second thought, yes I would. I've done worse for less!

Edited November 17, 2007 by slim

[Mags 112]

So someone I know is a driller, in the U.S. - water wells, auger drilling, soil tests etc etc.

The lastest job is at a Nuclear Plant. They are testing the soil for tritons (nuclear waste). Apparently some were found at a site in New England? So now all plants must test for this.

The other facet of this job is that they also have to drill directly under a high voltage power line (the power line for the Nuclear Plant). This person has been a driller for 23 years, in all that time he has never drilled directly under a power line of any sort - it is against policy, the policy is, for domestic power lines - the rig must be a minimum of 20 feet away from the line, to avoid arcing or direct contact.

Question: Would you do this job?

What rate of pay do they normally get for a drilling job of high risk? What is the actual risk of injury and death for drilling in this location? What are the risks for being in the locale of radioactive waste and exposure risks? I'd have to know this information to weigh up the pros and cons of it all!

[MKCT 0]

No way! I used to get paid 17 bucks an hour babysitting...I rather take that job again...hahaha!

[Jamie76 0]

He's been doing this for 23 years and he's only making around $17 an hour? Drillers I know (I work in the environmental field) who have been around for a while are doing pretty well for themselves.

They are probably going to be putting in monitoring wells to test the ground water for tritium which is an unstable form of hydrogen. It is found in the water you drink in small amounts but if there is a leak from the plant, higher concentrations would be evident. Probably use it as a tracer to see how far the contamination has spread.

The lines coming out of a plant are not your normal domestic type lines. They are pretty high up so the chances of arcing is pretty low.

[MelindaandTarek 0]

Ok I am thinking NOT SO MUCH!!

[trailmix 77]

He's been doing this for 23 years and he's only making around $17 an hour? Drillers I know (I work in the environmental field) who have been around for a while are doing pretty well for themselves.

They are probably going to be putting in monitoring wells to test the ground water for tritium which is an unstable form of hydrogen. It is found in the water you drink in small amounts but if there is a leak from the plant, higher concentrations would be evident. Probably use it as a tracer to see how far the contamination has spread.

The lines coming out of a plant are not your normal domestic type lines. They are pretty high up so the chances of arcing is pretty low.

Yes, you are right, after 23 years $17.50 is pathetic, but the company is a horrible company to work for and the person is not a PR or U.S. Citizen - so the options are few and far between.

I personally wouldn't do this work for them, historically the well being of the employees is about number 7 on their list of priorities, however one could possibly assume the Nuclear Plant has a greater sense of obligation and adherence to policy than the contracting company, or maybe not?

The safety inspector for the company actually said they shouldn't drill under the power line. They have now decided to ground the truck and use a lower profile rig - I still wouldn't do it.

[JODO 2]

nope. Not much reward for a big risk.

[Dakine 26]

When times are tough you do anything you can.

I filled Napalm bombs Graveyard shift when going to college.

[~krakatoa~ 27]

No. And that pay rate to me is way too low (even without the risk).

Edited November 17, 2007 by mysticbluerose

[russ 1]

No. And that pay rate to me is way too low (even without the risk).

I've been at nuclear power plants. They are not particularly dangereous, not like a coal mine or something like that.

Most of the radioactivity you would be exposed to is in the steam turbine. You wear a dosimeter everywhere you go, so you know at all times how much radiation you are being exposed to. In most cases, it was less exposure than I got on an airplane.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

So someone I know is a driller, in the U.S. - water wells, auger drilling, soil tests etc etc.

The lastest job is at a Nuclear Plant. They are testing the soil for tritons (nuclear waste). Apparently some were found at a site in New England? So now all plants must test for this.

The other facet of this job is that they also have to drill directly under a high voltage power line (the power line for the Nuclear Plant). This person has been a driller for 23 years, in all that time he has never drilled directly under a power line of any sort - it is against policy, the policy is, for domestic power lines - the rig must be a minimum of 20 feet away from the line, to avoid arcing or direct contact.

Question: Would you do this job?

Yes. I've done much more 'dangerous' jobs a nuke plants (I'm an HP). Safety is a first priority and taken seriously. Any worker has the ability to 'Stop Work' at the hint of an unsafe act. Don't fudge that 20 feet by an inch enen though there is a huge safety buffer built in. Safety first.

Ask him what his per diem will be.

[trailmix 77]

Yes. I've done much more 'dangerous' jobs a nuke plants (I'm an HP). Safety is a first priority and taken seriously. Any worker has the ability to 'Stop Work' at the hint of an unsafe act. Don't fudge that 20 feet by an inch enen though there is a huge safety buffer built in. Safety first.

Ask him what his per diem will be.

Per diem for this particular job is zero - he gets accomodation, which he always does, nothing special about this one. Plus they will be working a strict 8 hour day, so not even any overtime!

Well I don't know too much about it and I guess if you are used to this kind of work it doesn't seem like a stretch maybe?

I know it seems crazy that someone with that much experience would work for such low wages, he really is very good at what he does, so why would he work for these idiots. Well when he moved to the U.S. they matched his Canadian wage, which at the time wasn't bad, thing is after 7 years in the U.S. there has only been a pittance in terms of raises - etc etc.

I understand doing work you might not choose to do if you had to, but he doesn't - in spite of this horrible company they have done very well for themselves. The good news is he will be a free agent in about 3 weeks.

Edited November 18, 2007 by trailmix