Safety

Under UK law (the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974) employers are responsible for ensuring the safety of their workers and the public, and this is just as true for a nuclear site as for any other. This responsibility is reinforced for nuclear installations by the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (NIA), as amended. Under the relevant statutory provisions of the NIA, a site cannot have nuclear plant on it unless the user has been granted a site licence by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The NIA stipulates that only a corporate body, or in other words, a legally united body that can act as one individual, such as a registered company or a public body, can hold such a licence. This licensing function is administered on HSE's behalf by its Nuclear Directorate (ND). The legal regime is complemented by the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (IRRs) which provide for protection of workers in all industries from ionising radiations and by the generality of health and safety regulation which the ND also enforces on nuclear sites.

ND, acting for HSE, sets out in conditions attached to a site licence the general safety requirements to deal with the risks on a nuclear site. Licensees comply with these in different ways; such as, with a safety case to meet a stage in the plant's life, or with arrangements and procedures to meet a licence condition. Guidance is also set out in the safety assessment principles, which ND has developed for its own use, and made available to the public.

ND seeks to keep up and improve safety standards for work with ionising radiations at licensed nuclear installations. It does so through its licensing powers by assessing safety cases and inspecting sites for licence compliance. It sets national regulatory standards and helps to develop international nuclear safety standards.

Security

The Nuclear Directorate's Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) is the security regulator for the UK's civil nuclear industry. It is responsible for approving security arrangements within the industry and enforcing compliance. OCNS conducts its regulatory activities on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform under the authority of the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (NISR 03). OCNS also undertakes vetting of nuclear industry personnel with access to sensitive nuclear material or information. It works in close conjunction with policy officials in DBERR's Nuclear Consultations & Liabilities Directorate, with other government departments and agencies, and with overseas counterparts.

Safeguards

The UK Safeguards Office (UKSO) oversees the application of nuclear safeguards in the UK to ensure that the UK complies with its international safeguards obligations. Nuclear safeguards are measures to verify that States comply with their international obligations not to use nuclear materials (plutonium, uranium and thorium) for nuclear explosives purposes. Global recognition of the need for such verification is reflected in the requirements of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) for the application of safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Also, the Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (the Euratom Treaty) includes requirements for the application of safeguards by the European Commission. UKSO works with the UK nuclear industry and others with safeguards reporting requirements to monitor the application of the safeguards measures and ensure that the UKs Additional Protocol (measures to improve the efficiency and strengthen the effectiveness of the IAEA safeguards system) is implemented.

Organisation and responsibilities of Nuclear Directorate

Background

On 01 April 2007, the security activities of the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) and the operational nuclear safeguards work of the then Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), now Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (DBERR), along with associated staff were transferred to the HSE.

For civil nuclear safety policy matters in England and Wales, the HSC/E advises the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, while in Scotland it advises the Secretary of State for Scotland. For defence related nuclear safety matters. HSC/E advises the Secretary of State for Defence. ND may be called on to contribute to advice on nuclear safety and security matters to HSE and HSC and, on their behalf, to Ministers.

ND acts for HSE and as a regulator acts independently of any Government Department responsible for the UK nuclear power programme. ND sets the safety and security standards to be used on nuclear sites in the UK.

ND consists of six divisions:

• Division 1: Civil Nuclear Power Regulation
• Division 2: Nuclear Chemical & Research Site Regulation (including UK Safeguards Office)
• Division 3: Defence Nuclear Facilities Regulation
• Division 4: Nuclear Research, Strategy and Business Systems
• Division 5: Office for Civil Nuclear Security
• Division 6: Nuclear Reactor Generic Design Assessment
  

Staff

In all, some 250 staff are employed in the nuclear safety activities of ND. Sixty per cent are technical staff qualified to honours degree level or above. All the Directorate's staff work in HSE's office in Bootle, Merseyside. Technical staff join only after they have the equivalent status of corporate members of a senior professional engineering or scientific institution. This means that most of them will have been in industry for ten years or more before joining ND. In most cases, their work will have been in the nuclear industry. ND's work calls for a high level of expertise and a wide range of disciplines. All the technical skills found in any engineering based industry are to be found in ND, as well as reactor physics and radiological protection. More specialised areas are needed too, such as pressure vessel technology, metallurgy, seismology, heat transfer, and there is, of course, a strong emphasis on human factors, quality management and the management of safety.

Most of the other staff are professional administrative civil servants, many of whom have experience in other parts of HSE. They play a major role in the operation of the planning and management information systems, and provide the contact point for parliamentary and ministerial business and with the rest of HSE, and deal with HSE's policy on research. They also set up and arrange briefing for ND staff visiting abroad or for those who are to meet visitors from other countries.

Jobs and Careers at HSE Nuclear: http://www.HSENuclear.com

Independent advice

Although ND has most of the expertise it needs to form its own judgements, it uses consultants and has a nuclear safety studies programme geared to its own needs. These give ND an independent source of specialist advice. ND can also call on specialists in other parts of HSE. It uses this wide range of contacts to help with its assessment and inspection work and to gain data and information about faults and operating experiences world-wide. Its consultants come from universities, engineering firms and national organisations, such as the TWI and the British Geological Survey. Each year ND produces an Annual Research Index. This lists the issues that ND considers need more research and will form the basis of the research procured under the HSC Co-ordinated Programme of Nuclear Safety Research.

Information on the staff of OCNS and UKSO will be added shortly.

International work

ND gives specialist assistance to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Nuclear Energy Agency and Euratom. ND/HSE also shares information with nuclear regulators in countries such as Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States. Much work has also been done to see what may be needed to enable ND to licence foreign reactor designs for use in the UK. ND also offers assistance to the EC's various regulatory assistance programmes to countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

Professional HSE Nuclear Installations Inspector Job Curriculum Vitae (CV) / Career Resume Compilation

You have the sufficient talent and the right type and level of experience, so your resume will have no problem in getting the dream job in the prestigious world of the HSE NII Nuclear Inspector, right?...Well not exactly.  You can't really assume the possibilities of a successful job application by simply making a new or revising an old resume. 

While you are correctly representing the excellent employee and consummately professional Nuclear Industry Inspector that you believe you are, or could be, some competition will always be present and there will be always be many other talented people applying for the same job you're after.

An effective resume for other Utility/Oil/Gas/Coal/Transport/Defence industry sector professional posts won't necessarily be effective for your Nuclear Industry Inspector targeted Nuclear Energy/Atomic Power industry focused resume.  Usually, resumes are arranged in chronological way of experiences.  However in the case of  HSE NII Nuclear Inspectors, being highly safety, procedure and regulation conscious and project, task or objective oriented, will be a distinct advantage, either in Nuclear or a parallel, similar, transferrable or related Industry sector skill set and appropriate qualification and experience.

Special Security Clearance will be required for most Nuclear related positions.  This means that it would be advisable to list the important relevant Nuclear, Utility, Industry, Defence, etc. type project experiences you have had in relation to the position that you're aspiring to, or applying for.  Of course don't miss out on the important skills you have acquired over your working experience that demonstrate your communication, management, assessment and general people skills.

Let us explore the rest of the important tips you need to know on creating the eye-catching Nuclear Inspector's Job career resume:

• Be Specific - As a skilled, suitably experienced, and adequately qualified professional, you're probably used to having multi-tasking, multi-disciplined, critical projects on the go and be able to think laterally and outside the box.   But don't bore your future employers with the usual resume clichés and broad skills and experience descriptions.   It would be better to have one or two-line description for every project experience you have gained in your list of abilities.
  
• Be Realistic About Your Salary/Rate - As we all know Nuclear professionals do make a handsome living, but salaries do have variables which include areas of specialization and relevant experience.  When a potential employer's specialist Recruitment Agency like ERS (who are appointed to Recruit for the HSE NII)  contacts you, or you contact them, they would probably ask for your expected salary range/pay rate and/or your salary/pay rate history in your career to date.  Although you may not have thought about it, be sure to come up with a reasonable range based on certain variables in the Nuclear industry.  You can probably think of thinning out your expectations if the organisation offers other great benefits such as prestige, flexible hours/working arrangements, a good pension scheme, generous tax breaks, special working-away accommodation rates, company car, or great accommodation allowances.  Be prepared with a degree of flexibility in your desired salary/pay rate range and in your future salary/pay rate expectations or else you might end up loosing the bid for the prestigious position you want.
• Words Used Are Just As Important! - Though it's important that your resume be written in reader-friendly formatted language that makes sense to Managers looking to hire talented potential HSE NII Inspectors or Safety Professionals, it's also very possible that your resume will be scanned for specific keywords, possibly electronically.  Electronic Scanning is becoming increasingly common—especially in technical related professions such as those associated with construction, technical and scientific jobs, where hundreds of resumes might reach the specialist hiring Agency—and if your resume is found lacking, it may not move on from the initial sift.  Make sure you weave in your qualifications, certifications, major achievements, relevant experience and experience that has been outlined in the job posting, mimicking the posting's language where it clearly makes sense to do so. 
   
• Clearly Define Your Objectives - Most CV's nowadays have defined career objectives at the beginning. If you have that, be sure that your objectives are in line with the position you are applying for or aspiring to progress into after training. If you're aiming for becoming a Nuclear HSE NII Inspector in relation to Safety Case Assessment for Process Engineering, but your background or specified objectives are associated with Civil Engineering, the chances are your resume won't have a chance of progression and reaching the prospective and desired employer.   If it gives the impression that you are not paying adequate attention in your application to the job description, or it appears you're not really the type of employee/contractor that they want for that post.  Nor does an all too general fluffy objective such as "I will utilize my extensive skills to benefit your organisation" make an effective impression.  Prospective employers like the HSE are looking for the best most suitable person with the most extensive experience and appropriate knowledge and qualification to succeed in the prestigious and critical role with which they are entrusted.   If you have this, you owe it to yourself to project this in your CV submissions.

If you would like professional assistance in preparing a CV for an HSE Nuclear Inspector position, or to discuss possible suitable jobs, or similar posts within HSE/NII, please contact Simon Turner, Senior Consultant at ERS on +44 (0)1454 203 460, or submit your CV to cv@energyrs.co.uk, or to register your interest or apply for a position.  Simon will be pleased to help you market yourself to the best possible effect to potential employers/Contractor hirers. ERS are appointed for act for the HSE NII in the identification, recruitment and selection of suitable professionals to become NII Nuclear Inspectors and HSE/NII engaged specialists.

Applications are invited through ERS for persons of suitable qualification and experience in related, parellel or similar industry sectors with transferrable skills sets and relevant experience.   

Interview Tips and Techniques

ERS  always look to provide our candidates advice on interviewing , whether you're a seasoned professional, or a fresh Graduate you can never be to well prepared for an interview.

Even as a seasoned hardened professional, we recommend that you work through a check list with ERS as they will have an inside knowledge of the preferences, techniques, likes, dislikes along with the make up and infrastructure of the team you are applying to join.

ERS can't promise to help you win over your prospective employer for you, but the following advice will prepare you and give you some foundations from which you can build and add your own experience.

Every Client and interviewing Manager will have differing approaches and there is no set format you can rely on.  However our experience of successful interviews that convert into offers, is that they generally will have followed a set criteria, that we understand from our Interviewer's and Recruiter's feed back.  You should take into account the following areas when approaching every interview, whether it is your first or your 3^rd interview preparation is the key.

Company Background

You should prepare yourself with as much information about the HSE NII and the position you are applying for.  Always make independent enquiries either directly or at very least by visiting the this site and the HSE's website.  This should provide good information about the overall portfolio of the companies products/services. If possible obtain an understanding of the structure of the organisation, along with a thorough understanding of the position the HSE NII holds within the specialised Nuclear sector.

Interviewers

It is good practice to understand how many people you may be interviewed by as well as the format of the interview, i.e. panel, individuals, tasks, role play, assessments, Psychometric evaluations and tests, etc.  Always show a keen interest in your interviewer, as understanding their position always helps.

Location

Never assume always talk either directly to the site.  Establish for yourself that you understand the directions with ERS which site you will be expected to attend along with any special instructions relating to site security.   Make sure you have a map and or directions relating to your mode of transport.

Punctuality

Always allow more time than you expect.  It is better to arrive early and read the companies literature or familiarise yourself with the location of the Reception area.

It is NEVER a good first impression if you turn up late.

If, for reasons beyond your control you are going to be late, you should always be armed with ERS's direct number (01454 203 460), as well as the HSE NII main switchboard number. Contact ERS and the HSE NII person(s) you are interviewing with, inform them of your expected time of arrival and let us know that you have done this.

On arrival, apologise immediately and explain your reasons concisely.

Early is always better, collect your thoughts go over any last minute refreshers of you preparation notes, check your intended questions you have prepared.

Dress

Always dress to impress, your first impression is key. Be aware of the HSE culture and standards of professionalism, and ensure you dress to impress.  Never dress down unless you are invited to do so.  Plan your wardrobe at least the night before avoid the last minute rush to wash your desired outfit, or dry clean your suit.

CV

Make sure you have a copy of your own CV and that you can deliver your experience in a concise clear manner understandable by either technical or non-technical interviewers.  You should be well practiced in answering questions relating to your CV.  Practice this with a friend or colleague, as it will pay dividends if your are prepared.

First impressions on arrival

Greet everyone you meet with a warm smile, a firm handshake and be polite.  We consider it very important to maintain good eye contact levels at all times, especially with the interviewer to whom you are responding to.

In our experience, subtle mirror matching your interviewer by adopting the style of the interviewer, i.e. if they are formal, be formal, if they are informal, be informal, puts both parties at ease.

Never allow yourself to be drawn into copying or obviously mirroring.  If your interviewer curses or uses a profanity/swears, never allow yourself to mirror and remain professional at all times. Sometimes, it's a test!

Interview Techniques

Remember you are selling yourself; It is vital you understand what the interviewer is looking for.  Try to steer the interview to your strengths and how they relate to your understanding of the HSE NII's requirements.  It is also an opportunity to get the information you want from the organisation, afterall you must be sold on joining us.

Always ask questions this show you have a real interest in the position and the organisations.  Have questions prepared based on information you previously researched about them. Make sure you also leave the interview with enough information to make an informed decision on the suitability and desire to join the organisation.

Your questions should demonstrate an interest in their line of work or services, as well as your enthusiasm and interest in the role itself. You should refrain from discussing sebaticals, holidays, holiday entitlement, pensions, external commitments, etc. until you are firmly in the closing stages of your 2^nd or 3^rd interview.

Remember your CV has been selected through a carefull detailed filtering process with very specific criteria.  Regardless of your capabilities and proven background, you still need to put in a good performance in promoting why they should select you for this prestigious and important role.

Remember it's a two-way-street.... 

ERS and HSE wish you good luck with your application.

ERS would like to wish you good luck in your 'Job Hunting' and remind you we are here to help our Clients find the best possible people for the job and to help you find the right job and enjoy career success.

To discuss HSE Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), or Health and Safety related Nuclear Jobs, please contact Simon Turner, Senior Consultant at ERS on 01454 203 460, or submit a CV to cv@ersjob.co.uk, to register your interest, or to apply for this position, or others on Nuclear Projects or at Atomic Power Plant Sites, of which further details are available at http://www.ERSJobs.co.uk

Careers and Jobs with the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII)

http://www.HSENuclear.com

Nuclear Installations Inspectorate Jobs

Energy Recruitment Solutions Ltd ("ERS") has been appointed by HSE to assist in the appointment of Nuclear Installation Inspectors for the UK's Nuclear Sites. Health and Safety Executive

Major Nuclear sites in Great Britain

The NII inspectors are and will be based in HSE’s Redgrave Court complex in Bootle, Merseyside the Headquarters of NII and will cover:

Dounreay, Rosyth, Torness, Hartlepool, Hunterston, Chapelcross, Windscale, Calder, Halland, Sellafield, Barrow in-Furness, Springfields, Heysham, Capenhurst, Bootle, Wylfa, Cardiff, Trawsfynydd, Derby, Bradwell, Harwell, Amersham, Aldermaston, Burghfield, Imperial College, Berkeley, Oldbury, Sizewell, Dungeness, Hinkley Point, Winfrith, Devonport. (locations of current major Nuclear licensed sites).

ERS can be contacted on 01454 203 460, or via e-mail to info@energyrs.co.uk

Further details are available at http://www.Nuclear-Energy.co.uk, and details of positions available via ERS are available at http://www.ERSJobs.co.uk