Also called: Hazardous Materials Removal Worker, Decommissioning Worker
Cleans up radioactive and hazardous materials at old nuclear sites and labs.
You suit up in protective gear and a respirator, scrub and dismantle contaminated equipment, and pack waste for safe disposal at sites like Hanford in Washington.
Based on hazardous materials removal workers.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma plus 40-hour hazardous waste training; on-the-job learning.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Hazardous Materials Technology (trade school).
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Robots help with the most dangerous cleanup, but most suited-up dismantling and packing stays manual.
Age 18+. One way to start: Take a 40-hour HAZWOPER course, then apply to environmental and nuclear cleanup contractors First: OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER and radiation worker training
Classes: Chemistry, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-4041.
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