Safety advocate taking steps up the nuclear ladder
A focus on safety has always been a big part of Jennifer Mueller’s life.
But figuring out how to turn that safety focus into a career in radiation protection took some helpful direction from OPG’s Indigenous Opportunities in Nuclear (ION) program.
“Even before I considered getting into radiation protection, I thought about becoming a Technical Standards and Safety Authority inspector,” said Mueller, a member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames tribe. “The idea of keeping people safe really meant something to me.”
Thanks to ION, Mueller was able to map out a career path within the nuclear industry. She’s now putting her safety mindset to work at OPG’s Pickering Nuclear Generating Station as a member of the Civil Maintenance Housekeeping Agile Response Team.
“It takes four levels of authorizations before we can go and perform our work,” she said. “We deep clean systems in the station and keep the area free of foreign material.”
"OPG is the only company, I think, to have a program like this. I really want more Indigenous people to get involved.”Jennifer Mueller on the Indigenous Opportunities in Nuclear program
A recent graduate of the Radiation Safety program at Loyalist College, Mueller considers her current role only the first step in her career. She recently completed the Radiation Safety Officer program at the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada and, with ION’s help, applied for a radiation protection position at OPG.
“Once you get into ION, your opportunities just multiply,” Mueller says. “OPG is the only company, I think, to have a program like this. I really want more Indigenous people to get involved.”
Her advice to others interested in starting their career in nuclear: “Just keep following that pathway through the open doors, like those offered by ION, and you’ll just get to where you want to be.”
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