Skilled Tradespeople

General

As far as professions go, electricians are those typical tradespeople who service our homes and other industrial structures around regarding to electricity. 

Like their professional designations, they are the skilled tradespeople who design, install, maintain and repair electrical systems and products in residential and industrial places including factories.

They either work inside or outside of buildings to ensure that lights, industrial equipment and appliances operate safely and reliably.

Generally, there are other types of electrician Brisbane that are mostly fitted to their electrical specialties.

Industrial electricians

Industrial electricians are those working on large-scale projects across industrial facilities like factories, manufacturing facilities and power plants. An industrial electrician works with large machinery and computer systems used to facilitate the industrial process. 

The electrical work needed in these buildings will exceed those in commercial or residential settings. They work in a variety of environments and help install and repair electrical components and equipment.

Industrial electricians may find themselves working in plants, job sites, or troubleshooting with clients directly depending on the need of the bosses. These professionals help ensure their safety by observing all local, state and national electric codes.

Job description

Industrial electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical equipment and parts, such as control panels. This position requires extensive knowledge of electrical components as well as electrical safety codes and regulations. They must be professional, technical, and mechanically proficient.

The work, however can be physically demanding of industrial electricians can often be physically demanding. Installing and repairing equipment sometimes wants for him to crawl, climb, and stand for extended periods of time. 

Industrial electricians do this while being able to handle their tools as well. They should also able to understand and make decisions based on technical document (blueprints, schematics, instructions).   

Responsibilities

Aside from electrical installations, repair and maintenance work of electrical components of industrial equipment, they need to be able to work as a team. (Thesehelpthe others of the jobs sometimes as are the places in alone projects.

They also need to observe safety procedures and meeting the needed electrical codes. 

They are also responsible of performing quality testing and inspections.

Requirements

In some instances, they sometimes have an associated degree in a related field, a journeyman’s or the completion of an apprentice program. Likewise, they are expected to have a thorough knowledge of electrical systems, hand tools and industrial equipment. 

Being in a good level in his profession, an industrial electrician is expected likewise to be aware of national, state and local electrical codes and regulations. They are known to be highly motivated and can manage projects and make decisions.

Finally, they are looked upon as the professionals they are in being able to read on schematics, blueprints and other technical documents. Also, they can be relied on in doing physically demanding tasks like lifting heavy objects, climbing ladders, crawling and such.

Commercial electricians

The commercial electrician is the one who installs, maintains, and repairs commercial electrical systems, wirings, equipment and other fixtures. He is expected to make sure that work is in accordance with all the relevant codes.

This is over and above his other tasks in installing conduit systems, hang light fixtures, and installing feeder wire and terminate electrical panels.

Systems diagnosis

In addition, he knows how to do layouts, installations, repair or replacements of electrical writings, equipment, component and fixtures with his hands or with power tools. 

In addition, he knows how to diagnose malfunctioning systems, apparatus, and components, using test equipment and hand tools. He knows how to test electrical systems and continuity of circuits in electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures to ensure compatibility and safety of the system. 

Tools and equipment

Like the rest of the electricians, he uses a variety of tools and equipment, testing devices, voltmeters, and others. He knows how to install panel boards, transformers, control centers and motors.

He can do layout and work from ladders, aerial lifts, scaffolds and roofs. He can also do the repair of electrical wirings, equipment, outline/junction boxes, fixtures and fixture whips, place conduits, pipes or tubing in designated places (walls, partitions, etc). 

He can also do some physical work like digging trenches to lay conduit and do some lifting along the way at work.

Maintenance Electricians

The maintenance electrician does the complex technical work, much more like that of a journey man level. This includes the installation, operations maintenance, modification, and service repairs of electrical systems, equipment, fixtures and other related electro-mechanical systems.

He inspects and checks and tests the elements of the electrical systems at work. The rationale is to locate and diagnose faults and malfunctions within. 

He performs the required repairs through replacement of parts that are not operating or re-wiring the circuits and providing an estimate of the repair work (and/or replacement)costs for those parts that are beyond the capability to perform.

He is responsible in calculating the circuit loads of branches, interprets electrical wiring diagrams and schematics. After which, he is the one who will determine the methods needed and the requirements for wiring the circuits.

Qualifications 

A maintenance electrician needs to have a high school diploma or the equivalent plus completion of a certifying technical training program in electrical maintenance. He can also join the profession if he has completed an electrician’s apprenticeship is required.

However, there is need to have a significant work experience in electrical maintenance beyond that required for the position. This can be substituted for the required education, technical training or apprenticeship.

Experience / skills

Joining the industry (getting employed) would need six years of responsible experience in the electrical trade is strictly required. Experience here means a thorough working knowledge of national Electrical codes for the installation and maintenance of electrical systems.

Regarding skills, maintenance electricians must be able to interpret wiring diagrams, blueprints and electrical schematics. Not only that, the maintenance electrician must be able to apply electrical formulas and conversion tables to project requirements.

In addition, he must be able to use electrical tests equipment and small hand and power tools in conducting his day-to-day work. This could include wrenches, drills, soldering irons, volt ohmmeters, amp meters, circuit testers as well as vacuum and pressure gauges.

All in all, computer literacy is required. They would also need the ability to develop the knowledge of, respect for, and the skills needed to engage with those working in other working cultures or backgrounds.