Tag Archives: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Ten Best Paid Jobs Without a Degree

by

0


In today’s competitive job market, finding a high-paying job is sometimes difficult, especially without a degree, but that doesn’t have to be the case. There are plenty of high-paying career choices that don’t require a degree. Many of those jobs, however, require experience.

article-new-ehow-images-a06-aj-tg-10-paid-jobs-degree-1.1-800x800


  1. Air Traffic Controller

    • An air traffic controller does not have to have a degree and can still earn a six figure salary at a little over $100,000. Air traffic controllers are in charge of the safety of all vehicles (planes and otherwise) coming and going from an airport to ensure there are no collisions on the ground or in the air. While this job doesn’t require a degree, the difficult nature does require extensive experience.

    Funeral Director

    • Although it’s not the most glamorous job, and might seem a little grim, a funeral director earns nearly $100,000 annually and the job doesn’t require a degree. Funeral directors are in charge of helping the family of the recently deceased arrange funeral services. A funeral director is also the overseer of embalming, burial and even cremation services.

    Operations Manager

    • An operations manager makes, on average, $70,000 annually. An operations manager position is found in many types of businesses. Basically, the person in this position is responsible for ensuring that business is running smoothing, i.e. workforce and resources are working as they should and there are no backups or issues in the schedule. Examples include efficient production at a factory, cost control and a variety of other areas of business.

    Industrial Production Manager

    • The position of industrial production manager is similar to that of an operations manager, but this position is only in businesses where products are being made. The industrial production manager oversees production of goods and will try to determine new, less expensive and more efficient ways to get these goods manufactured. This person will also ensure that production is running smoothly and that any problems are quickly resolved. The average salary is around $70,000.

    Transportation Manager

    • A transportation manager is also similar to both the industrial production manager and the operations manager, but works at companies that provide public transportation, such as train companies or bus tour companies, as well as companies that transport goods from one manufacturer to stores for selling. A transportation manager may also work for local governments to manage city bus or metro transportation. The transportation manager ensures everything is running on time and may determine more efficient routes for transportation.

    Distribution Manager

    • A distribution manager works with the manufacturing companies to ensure the goods that are produced are getting where they need to go smoothly, on time and the most cost-efficient way as possible. The person in this position is also the top manager when it comes to customer complaints regarding delivery failures. A distribution manager makes around $68,000 annually.

    Computer Technical Support Specialist

    • A computer technical support specialist can work independently as a freelance consultant or for a company providing technical support to employees. Either way, the person in this position is in charge of setting up computer programs and solving any computer-related issues that may arise in an office or home environment. This person can make anywhere from $60,000 to $70,000 and may earn even more freelancing. Usually, people in this position don’t need a degree because they are self-taught in computers and have gained much experience.

    Police Manager/Detective

    • The position of police manager or detective doesn’t require a degree, although it does usually require you to graduate the police academy, which is rigorous in its own right. These positions are filled with police officers as they move up in rank. A police officer serves and protects individuals and to maintain the safety of citizens within their jurisdiction. The police academy will train you for various situations you may encounter as a police officer.

    Gaming Manager

    • A gaming manager doesn’t need a degree, but may need to acquire a license to work in a casino. A gaming manager’s duties range from cleaning slot machines to training dealers. The basic duty, though, is to watch over a certain area of the casino to ensure that customers are enjoying themselves, which will keep them at a table and gambling, and that the dealers are acting appropriately. Most casino managers start out as dealers themselves.

    Nuclear Power Reactor Manager

    • A nuclear power reactor manager ensures that the nuclear power reactors, which are the main power generators in a nuclear power plant, are working properly and helps senior managers fix any issues that arise. After more experience on the job, the manager will be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which would allow them to work on the machines hands-on themselves. At least one senior manager will be on duty with the nuclear power reactor manager at all times.

 

Severe Nuclear Reactor Accidents Likely Every 10 to 20 Years, European Study Suggests

by

0


Western Europe has the worldwide highest risk of radioactive contamination caused by major reactor accidents.

 

Global risk of radioactive contamination. The map shows the annual probability in percent of radioactive contamination by more than 40 kilobecquerels per square meter. In Western Europe the risk is around two percent per year. (Credit: Daniel Kunkel, MPI for Chemistry, 2011)

Catastrophic nuclear accidents such as the core meltdowns in Chernobyl and Fukushima are more likely to happen than previously assumed. Based on the operating hours of all civil nuclear reactors and the number of nuclear meltdowns that have occurred, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz have calculated that such events may occur once every 10 to 20 years (based on the current number of reactors) — some 200 times more often than estimated in the past. The researchers also determined that, in the event of such a major accident, half of the radioactive caesium-137 would be spread over an area of more than 1,000 kilometres away from the nuclear reactor. Their results show that Western Europe is likely to be contaminated about once in 50 years by more than 40 kilobecquerel of caesium-137 per square meter. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, an area is defined as being contaminated with radiation from this amount onwards. In view of their findings, the researchers call for an in-depth analysis and reassessment of the risks associated with nuclear power plants.

The reactor accident in Fukushima has fuelled the discussion about nuclear energy and triggered Germany’s exit from their nuclear power program. It appears that the global risk of such a catastrophe is higher than previously thought, a result of a study carried out by a research team led by Jos Lelieveld, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz: “After Fukushima, the prospect of such an incident occurring again came into question, and whether we can actually calculate the radioactive fallout using our atmospheric models.” According to the results of the study, a nuclear meltdown in one of the reactors in operation worldwide is likely to occur once in 10 to 20 years. Currently, there are 440 nuclear reactors in operation, and 60 more are planned.

To determine the likelihood of a nuclear meltdown, the researchers applied a simple calculation. They divided the operating hours of all civilian nuclear reactors in the world, from the commissioning of the first up to the present, by the number of reactor meltdowns that have actually occurred. The total number of operating hours is 14,500 years, the number of reactor meltdowns comes to four — one in Chernobyl and three in Fukushima. This translates into one major accident, being defined according to the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), every 3,625 years. Even if this result is conservatively rounded to one major accident every 5,000 reactor years, the risk is 200 times higher than the estimate for catastrophic, non-contained core meltdowns made by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 1990. The Mainz researchers did not distinguish ages and types of reactors, or whether they are located in regions of enhanced risks, for example by earthquakes. After all, nobody had anticipated the reactor catastrophe in Japan.

25 percent of the radioactive particles are transported further than 2,000 kilometres

Subsequently, the researchers determined the geographic distribution of radioactive gases and particles around a possible accident site using a computer model that describes Earth’s atmosphere. The model calculates meteorological conditions and flows, and also accounts for chemical reactions in the atmosphere. The model can compute the global distribution of trace gases, for example, and can also simulate the spreading of radioactive gases and particles. To approximate the radioactive contamination, the researchers calculated how the particles of radioactive caesium-137 (137Cs) disperse in the atmosphere, where they deposit on Earth’s surface and in what quantities. The 137Cs isotope is a product of the nuclear fission of uranium. It has a half-life of 30 years and was one of the key elements in the radioactive contamination following the disasters of Chernobyl and Fukushima.

The computer simulations revealed that, on average, only eight percent of the 137Cs particles are expected to deposit within an area of 50 kilometres around the nuclear accident site. Around 50 percent of the particles would be deposited outside a radius of 1,000 kilometres, and around 25 percent would spread even further than 2,000 kilometres. These results underscore that reactor accidents are likely to cause radioactive contamination well beyond national borders.

The results of the dispersion calculations were combined with the likelihood of a nuclear meltdown and the actual density of reactors worldwide to calculate the current risk of radioactive contamination around the world. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an area with more than 40 kilobecquerels of radioactivity per square meter is defined as contaminated.

The team in Mainz found that in Western Europe, where the density of reactors is particularly high, the contamination by more than 40 kilobecquerels per square meter is expected to occur once in about every 50 years. It appears that citizens in the densely populated southwestern part of Germany run the worldwide highest risk of radioactive contamination, associated with the numerous nuclear power plants situated near the borders between France, Belgium and Germany, and the dominant westerly wind direction.

If a single nuclear meltdown were to occur in Western Europe, around 28 million people on average would be affected by contamination of more than 40 kilobecquerels per square meter. This figure is even higher in southern Asia, due to the dense populations. A major nuclear accident there would affect around 34 million people, while in the eastern USA and in East Asia this would be 14 to 21 million people.

“Germany’s exit from the nuclear energy program will reduce the national risk of radioactive contamination. However, an even stronger reduction would result if Germany’s neighbours were to switch off their reactors,” says Jos Lelieveld. “Not only do we need an in-depth and public analysis of the actual risks of nuclear accidents. In light of our findings I believe an internationally coordinated phasing out of nuclear energy should also be considered ,” adds the atmospheric chemist.

Related articles