Boilermakers

Nature of work

Boilermakers fabricate, assemble, erect, test, maintain and repair boilers, vessels, tanks, towers, heat exchangers and other heavy-metal structures. They are employed in boiler fabrication, manufacturing, shipbuilding, construction, electric power generation and similar industrial establishments.

Job duties

Boilermakers perform some or all of the following duties:

• Read blueprints or specifications to plan sequence of operation.
• Lay out plate, sheet steel or other heavy metal and mark bending and cutting lines on work piece using protractors, compasses and drawing instruments or templates.
• Set up and operate heavy-metal working machines such as brakes, rolls, shears, flame cutters and drill presses to cut, shape and form metal into parts or sections.
• Fit and weld metal parts or sections together to fabricate boilers, vessels, tanks, heat exchangers, piping and other heavy-metal products.
• Erect and install boilers and other heavy-metal products according to specifications using hand and power tools.
• Repair and perform maintenance work on boilers and other heavy-metal products.
• Direct activities of hoist or crane operators and other workers during fabrication, assembly, installation or repair of structures
• Test finished structures using a variety of methods. // Boilermakers may specialize in rigging and hoisting, preparation and layout, or welding aspects of the trade.

Sample job titles

• boiler fitter
• boiler installer
• boiler repairer
• boiler shop mechanic
• boilermaker
• construction boilermaker
• industrial boilermaker
• industrial construction boilermaker
• maintenance boilermaker

Skills

This work requires a good mechanical aptitude. You must be resourceful and able to make decisions. Good form perception, physical strength, coordination, and agility are important.

Job requirements

• Completion of high school is usually required.
• Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or a combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in boilermaking is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
• Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia.
• Red Seal Endorsement (RSE) is also available to qualified boilermakers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Other considerations

Advances in technology, new materials, higher-quality welds and welding material, and larger lifts and lifting capacity have created many changes in this group. The increased size and complexity of construction projects, often in remote areas, contributes to an increasingly competitive contractor environment and to a very mobile trade.

Boilermakers are generally mobile and move to where there is employment. The work of a boilermaker is extremely hazardous, due to the possibility of exposure to materials and gases that could create health problems. Attention to safety and accident prevention is very important for this group.

The wage rate for apprentices is usually a percentage of the journeyperson rate, increasing upon completion of each stage of the apprenticeship program. Boilermaker is a designated trade in Nova Scotia and you must be certified to work in this profession. Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

Regulations

Contacts

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