Scope of the Boilermaker Occupation

A journeyperson boilermaker is a tradesperson who must possess the full range of knowledge, abilities and skills required to fabricate, construct, install, assemble, erect, demolish, repair and maintain a wide variety of vessels, tanks towers, boilers, hoists and other structures, ancillary equipment and fixtures made of steel, other metals, fiberglass and other materials.

The broad scope of the boilermaker trade includes the construction and maintenance activities performed in the field and in industrial and commercial plants such as:

• Cement Plants
• Fertilizer plants
• Water treatment facilities
• Breweries
• Sawmills
• Iron and Steel production facilities
• Steam Generation plants
• Electric power generation (thermal, nuclear, hydro) plants
• Gas turbines
• Refineries (oil, chemical)
• Shipbuilding and repair docks
• Pulp and paper mills
• Wind and fusion sites

As well as many other industrial and commercial facilities.

This section would not be complete without mention of the fact that the work of the boilermaker, by its very nature, is extremely hazardous. The boilermaker is continually required to train for safety in the work place due to the possibility of exposure to hazardous materials and gases that could create health problems. Errors in judgment or in practical application of the trade knowledge can be extremely costly, both in terms of injury to workers and damage to equipment or materials. Constant and vigilant attention to the application of safety and accident prevention must be maintained by workers at all times.

Boilermaker Apprenticeship

Making a Career Decision?
Deciding to become a field construction Boilermaker Apprentice may be the single most important decision of your life. The following important information will explain the job responsibilities, requirements and challenges for a Boilermaker Apprentice.

Boilermaker work demands a high degree of technical skill, constant attention to safety, a dedication to excellence, a willingness to study and complete on-the-job training and an ability to travel from job site to job site to maintain employment.

Today’s field construction Boilermaker Apprentice is involved in more than just the construction of boilers. Apprentices are a vital part of construction project teams that erect pressure vessel assemblies and fabricate metal plate. You could be involved in the installation of a giant superheater section in a large utility boiler, the erection of a 200,000 barrel water storage tank, the replacement of a nuclear power plant reactor dome or construction of components at a hydroelectric power station.

What do Boilermaker Apprentices do on the Job?

• Loading & unloading materials
• Rigging materials for movement
• Directing crane operations
• Assembling and Disassembling scaffolds and platforms
• Changing crane booms
• Inspecting and caring for rigging accessories and equipment
• Burning, gouging and welding
• Removing and replacing tubes
• Interpreting blueprints
• Laying out components
• Erecting support steel beams and columns
• Using various welding machines
• Aligning and fitting components

Consider these facts carefully:

• Work performed by a Boilermaker requires high technical skill and a dedication to top performance.
• Field construction work is, by nature, an outside job which means exposure to all types of weather conditions, heat and cold.
• Boilers, dams, power generation plants, storage tanks and pressure vessels are usually of mammoth size; therefore a major portion of the Boilermaker’s work is performed at great heights, often from 200 to 1,000 feet above the ground.
• Field construction is contract work so when the contract is completed, your job is ended. You may have to travel the territory of the Local Lodge and live away from home for long periods of time.
• The majority of work (approximately 90%) involves confined space access, requiring safe work procedures for access, egress, escape and rescue.
• The size of materials, tools and equipment handled by Boilermakers requires excellent physical strength and stamina.
• To become a qualified Red Seal Boilermaker, you must complete a minimum 6,000 hours of on-the-job training, usually taking 4 – 5 years.

Is Boilermaking really the job for you?

Your response to the statements below should help you decide

• I am willing and able to do demanding and strenuous physical work.
• I am not afraid of working at heights nor am I claustrophobic.
• I am willing to travel and live away from home for long periods of time to maintain employment.
• I am willing to work in all types of adverse conditions.
• I am willing to make a commitment to 6,000 hours of on-the-job training.
• I am willing and able to complete the self-study lessons and the on-the-job training modules.
• I understand that, based on the employment conditions, I may be unemployed from time to time.
• I am dedicated to performing all assigned jobs to the best of my ability and in compliance with employer standards.
• I am willing and able to attend classroom instruction when available in addition to my regular work hours.
• I will agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Boilermaker Apprenticeship indenture and all rules and regulations of the Boilermaker ATAC.

If you answered YES to all ten statements, then you may be the type of individual who could successfully complete the Boilermaker Apprenticeship Program. If you didn’t answer yes to all the statements, you may want to reconsider. If you need more information to answer any of the questions, please contact the Boilermaker Apprenticeship Coordinator for the British Columbia and Yukon Territory area. The Coordinator will provide more information about the field construction Boilermaker Apprenticeship Program, the application and selection process, necessary prerequisites for the Entry Level Program and the benefits of starting a career as a field construction Boilermaker.

Indentured Apprenticeship

The Boilermakers Lodge 359 Apprenticeship Program

Successful Completion of the Boilermaker Entry Level Training:

• 23 weeks in full-time training (self-pay), culminating in the Boilermaker Entry Level Certificate with a minimum of 70% in both theory and practical.
• Successful completion includes the ability to adequately perform all physical tasks assigned
• No more than a maximum of 3 days of absence are acceptable during the entry level portion of the training without medical documentation. The Boilermakers ATAC reserves the right to review each case separately and independently should such medical documentation be supplied.
• Pre-assessment examination at 85% or greater achievement.
• Indoctrination to the International Brotherhood Membership including adherence to Boilermakers ATAC rules and regulations of apprenticeship.
• Successfully complete probationary dispatches including reporting processes.
• Sign full indenture contract.
• The Boilermaker Apprentice must successfully complete 6,000 hours of field assignments monitored by the Coordinator under direction of the Boilermaker ATAC
• Complete and return field reports.
• Attend all technical training assignments

Upon successful completion of the field assignments and technical training, the Lodge 359 Boilermaker Apprentice will be scheduled to write the Inter-provincial Red Seal Examination and upon successful completion, they are eligible to change to a full Qualified Boilermaker status.

• Level 02 Upgrade (5 weeks)
• Level 03 Upgrade (5 weeks)
• Level 04 Upgrade (2 weeks)

Red Seal Qualification

For information on obtaining a Red Seal Qualification, refer to: www.red-seal.ca and follow the links