<p>Does anyone here work at a power plant or has worked at one as an engineer? If so, what were some of your responsibilites, how safe did you feel, did you truly enjoy working there?</p>
<p>Relatively few engineers involved in the power field actually spend a lot of time in the plants themselves. There's a lot of technician and blue collar type people involved at that end. Some engineers too.</p>
<p>A power plant is just a particular type of industrial factory. The relative safety is probably comparable. When you are there they will give you a hard hat to wear for safety, typically. One does not necessarily feel that their life is in imminent danger, but it feels like a factory. There are narrow steel industrial-type steps in a lot places, There are lots of control panels that one obviously must not touch. There are fuel storage facilities/ areas. they may have huge boilers, transformers, motors, etc. all over the place.</p>
<p>Duties would involve whatever's needed to keep the thing running and cranked up/down as called for. And oversee equipment maintenance and technical modifications.</p>
<p>Most of the engineers working in power-related fields work most of the time in office buildings. They generally feel pretty safe there.</p>
<p>Ok so then do you know how much most engineers enjoy working there?</p>
<p>You mean me? No I don't.
The engineers I knew who worked in power just stayed at the plants long enough to oversee putting in certain systems. Some actually were assigned to the site while the plant was being built. But neither group of people spent lot of time at the plant once it was built.</p>
<p>I've been in some myself, but never worked there.</p>
<p>I will be working for a electric power plant (coal powered) plant and I start my new job on Monday as a mechanical engineer. I have not set foot in the plant yet but I will let you know who I like the job. I will be at this particular plant for two years before moving on to other locations during the engineering training program.</p>
<p>`Sorry I haven't answered before, my S graduated last night and I've been a bit frantic. I hope that I can answer your question. My H works at a coal fired power plant so I'll try to tell you what I have learned from him.</p>
<p>He works at a relatively small (350 megawatt) plant so his experience is different than working at a bigger plant. Because of the size of the plant he has been able to work in many different areas.</p>
<p>At first he did mostly engineering projects, scheduling routine maintance, or installing new equiptment. He's been the engineer in fuel handling as well as being the supervisor. Contrary to what monydad's experience has been, my H spends a lot of time in the physical plant. In fact, he does not spent much time in his office.</p>
<p>My H has been there for more than 20 years so he has been involved in every aspect of the plant. He can supervise, he has been in charge of departments, including chemistry labs and fuel handling. He's dabbles in enviromental issues although it's not something that he really loves. After all of this time, he still loves to have projects to do. I won't go into great detail because it's pretty boring but having a project and being able to save the company millions of dollars is his favorite thing to do.</p>
<p>My H loves what he does and wouldn't want to do anything else. Many of the things that he does are more mundane than what I have described but he loves that he can do a lot of different things and he is not tied to a desk.</p>
<p>The electric power industry is very safe. Like all government regulated industry, safety is first. They spent a lot of time and money working on safety and accidents are few and far between.</p>
<p>how much money does your husband earn?</p>