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Boilermakers Occupation Detailed Description

Boilermakers career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Boilermakers

The main tasks and work activities of Boilermakers are to inspect industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operation, weld metal components, maintain mechanical equipment, signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning. In general, for the Boilermakers, operation Monitoring, operation and Control, critical Thinking, quality Control Analysis and other 12 skills are required.
Boilermakers Job Description
EducationMost occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related ExperiencePrevious work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Boilermakers jobs. 22.14% of Boilermakers have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 37.66% of Boilermakers have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
38.70%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
22.14%
Post-Secondary Certificate
37.66%
Some College Courses
1.50%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
0.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Boilermakers

  • Examine boilers, pressure vessels, tanks, or vats to locate defects, such as leaks, weak spots, or defective sections, so that they can be repaired.
  • Bolt or arc weld pressure vessel structures and parts together, using wrenches or welding equipment.
  • Inspect assembled vessels or individual components, such as tubes, fittings, valves, controls, or auxiliary mechanisms, to locate any defects.
  • Repair or replace defective pressure vessel parts, such as safety valves or regulators, using torches, jacks, caulking hammers, power saws, threading dies, welding equipment, or metalworking machinery.
  • Attach rigging and signal crane or hoist operators to lift heavy frame and plate sections or other parts into place.
  • Bell, bead with power hammers, or weld pressure vessel tube ends to ensure leakproof joints.
  • Lay out plate, sheet steel, or other heavy metal and locate and mark bending and cutting lines, using protractors, compasses, and drawing instruments or templates.
  • Install manholes, handholes, taps, tubes, valves, gauges, or feedwater connections in drums of water tube boilers, using hand tools.
  • Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts.
  • Straighten or reshape bent pressure vessel plates or structure parts, using hammers, jacks, or torches.
  • Shape seams, joints, or irregular edges of pressure vessel sections or structural parts to attain specified fit of parts, using cutting torches, hammers, files, or metalworking machines.
  • Position, align, and secure structural parts or related assemblies to boiler frames, tanks, or vats of pressure vessels, following blueprints.
  • Locate and mark reference points for columns or plates on boiler foundations, following blueprints and using straightedges, squares, transits, or measuring instruments.
  • Shape or fabricate parts, such as stacks, uptakes, or chutes, to adapt pressure vessels, heat exchangers, or piping to premises, using heavy-metalworking machines such as brakes, rolls, or drill presses.
  • Clean pressure vessel equipment, using scrapers, wire brushes, and cleaning solvents.
  • Install refractory bricks or other heat-resistant materials in fireboxes of pressure vessels.
  • Assemble large vessels in an on-site fabrication shop prior to installation to ensure proper fit.
  • Controlling Machines and ProcessesUsing either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
  • Handling and Moving ObjectsUsing hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Performing General Physical ActivitiesPerforming physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentServicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRunning, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialInspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Inspect industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operation.
  • Weld metal components.
  • Maintain mechanical equipment.
  • Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
  • Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
  • Mark reference points on construction materials.
  • Install gauges or controls.
  • Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
  • Fabricate parts or components.
  • Position structural components.
  • Install metal structural components.
  • Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly.
  • Clean equipment or facilities.
  • Install masonry materials.
  • Assemble products or production equipment.

Skills and Abilities for Boilermakers

  • Operation MonitoringWatching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Operation and ControlControlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Quality Control AnalysisConducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Equipment MaintenancePerforming routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
  • RepairingRepairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
  • TroubleshootingDetermining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
  • Equipment SelectionDetermining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Control PrecisionThe ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Finger DexterityThe ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Arm-Hand SteadinessThe ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Manual DexterityThe ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Multilimb CoordinationThe ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • VisualizationThe ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Trunk StrengthThe ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Static StrengthThe ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Reaction TimeThe ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Blow torche.g. Acetylene torches
  • Adjustable wrenchese.g. Adjustable crescent wrenches
  • Pipe wrenchese.g. Adjustable pipe wrenches
  • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machinee.g. Air carbon arc cutting equipment
  • Air compressorse.g. Air compressors
  • Pneumatic grinderse.g. Air grinders
  • Pneumatic hammere.g. Air hammers
  • Air manifoldse.g. Air manifolds
  • Pneumatic sanding machinese.g. Air scalers
  • Hex keyse.g. Allen wrenches
  • Multi gas monitorse.g. Atmospheric monitoring devices
  • Air samplers or collectorse.g. Atmospheric testing equipment
  • Ball peen hammere.g. Ball peen hammers
  • Hand clampse.g. Bar clamps
  • Below the hook devicee.g. Beam clamps
  • Girder trolleyse.g. Beam trolleys
  • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathee.g. Bench lathes
  • Bench visese.g. Bench vises
  • Pneumatic grinderse.g. Beveling machines
  • Punches or nail sets or driftse.g. Blacksmiths' punches
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • DesignKnowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Building and ConstructionKnowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • MechanicalKnowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Production and ProcessingKnowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Engineering and TechnologyKnowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.