Industry nickname, partly joking and partly rueful, for the travelling outage workforce: pipefitters, decon workers, RP techs and laborers who follow the outage season from plant to plant, often living in motels and rentals. Their dose history follows them from site to site, so they guard it like a season's pay. The word is used within the workforce and sometimes as a self-description, though outsiders using it can sound mocking.
Half the outage crew are glow boys who did the same job at two other plants this spring.
Also heard as
- nuclear nomad
Related terms
Jumper
A worker who makes brief entries into very high radiation spaces, absorbing a large dose allowance in minutes.
Rad worker
A person trained and qualified to work unescorted in radiologically controlled areas.
Burned out
Having used up one's allowed dose for the period, so a worker cannot do more radiological work.
Pick up dose
To receive radiation dose while doing work, as in picking up 20 millirem on a job.