Metal Fabrication Labourers

Nature of work

Metal fabrication labourers remove extra metal and unwanted materials from metal parts, castings and other metal products and do other labouring activities. They work for structural steel, boiler and platework production plants, heavy machinery manufacturing plants, sheet metal fabrication shops, shipbuilding and other metal products manufacturing companies.

Job duties

Metal fabrication labourers:

• Read and understand work orders.
• Use metal cleaning equipment like wheelabrators, deburrers and shotblasters to remove extra welds, rust, scale and other material from surfaces of metal parts, castings and other metal products.
• Polish metal products to mirror finish.
• Dip metal products in cleaning solutions.
• Help structural steel and platework fitters, sheet metal workers, metalworking machine operators or other metal workers.
• Move raw materials and finished metal products manually or using hoists or other devices.
• Sort metal sheets and parts, scrap metal and other materials.
• Clean work areas and equipment.
• Load and unload vehicles using hand truck or dolly.
• May cut, grind or chip extra metal from metal products using hand tools.

Sample job titles

• blacksmith helper
• buffing machine tender
• grinder-deburrer
• labourer
• metal cleaner
• metalworking machine helper
• plater helper
• shipfitter helper
• shotblaster
• wheelabrator operator

Skills

• You should have good physical health. You must be able to take direction and carry out instructions given by a supervisor.

Job requirements

• Some high school education may be required.

Other considerations

• Work in these jobs is generally seasonal. Shifts at various hours of the day or on a part-time basis is common. Movement to machine and process operator positions is possible with experience and there is movement among jobs in this group.

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