Field Heat Treatment Technician

Whats New in 2009

Select Alternate Year - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008

There have been no changes to this trade in the year of 2009.

Duties

Specific tasks encompassed in the Field Heat Treatment Technician occupation include the following:

• identifying, analyzing and interpreting codes and quality control programs for heat treatment applications;
  
  
• applying principles of metallurgy, electricity and trade mathematics;
  
  
• applying preheat or postheat treatment according to industry codes and specifications;
  
  
• applying heat treatments using electrical heating elements, magnetic induction or combustible fuels;
  
  
• using automated or manual controls and instruments to apply heat treatments;
  
  
• drying and curing refractory materials through the controlled application of heat;
  
  
• preheating boilers, vessels, furnaces etc. prior to operation;
  
  
• applying heat treatment for the degassing of vessels to remove hydrogen or other contaminants from steel;
  
  
• anneal or hardening materials by oven or furnace heat treatment;
  
  
• performing heat alignment on ferrous and non-ferrous materials;
  
  
• testing ferrous materials including hardness testing;
  
  
• calibrating, troubleshooting and repairing heat treatment equipment;
  
  
• reading and interpreting blueprints and schematic drawings, create sketches, recognizing the symbols and abbreviations in common use in the field heat treatment technician occupation;
  
  
• maintaining documents and records of heat treatment processes;
  
  
• working safe; practicing accident prevention; and
  
  
• moving and placing equipment using trucks, trailers and lifting devices operated by others.

Working Conditions

Heat treatment services are provided as a contract service to a variety of clients. Clients are primarily engaged in the construction, maintenance or operation of facilities with welded structures, piping and vessels.

Other clients requiring the specialized application of heat may contract for heat treatment services.

Work may be outdoors, possibly in adverse weather conditions. The work environment may be noisy dusty and dirty. Safety is most important, as work is performed on construction or industrial sites and possibly at heights. There is some risk of injury involved in working with power tools, heavy equipment, heating equipment, hot metals and toxic gases.
Many worksites may require field heat treatment technicians be clean shaven.

Field heat treatment technicians typically work a 40 hour week, with overtime sometimes required to meet deadlines. Extensive travel is a job requirement.

Heat treatment equipment can be large and bulky and technicians may be required to transport their own equipment using large and small trucks, possibly with trailer combinations or air brakes.

Skills and Abilities

This work is most rewarding for those who enjoy travel, working outdoors, and are comfortable working at heights, on an occasional basis.  Field heat treatment technicians may be required to travel almost anywhere on short notice and can expect to be away from home for extended periods of time.

Technicians must be able to:

• read blue prints and technical documents;
  
  
• document the procedures they perform;
  
  
• maintain job-related records for themselves and other workers;
  
  
• use technology such as digital controls, measuring instruments and/or sensors, portable and stationary computers, office software and specialty software;
  
  
• possess a basic understanding of the principles of metallurgy, electricity, combustion and heat transfer;
  
  
• use trade math to convert metric and US measurement; calculate mass and volume of cylinders and spheres; add, subtract multiply and divide using fractions and decimals; use algebraic formulas to calculate electrical potential, resistance, current flow and power requirements;
  
  
• use mechanical ability to assemble and disassemble equipment on site;
  
  
• troubleshoot heat treatment equipment and installations;
  
  
• operate, read and interpret measuring equipment;
  
  
• operate portable generators, electrical transformers, heating elements, fuel burning heating appliances;
  
  
• possess knowledge of rigging and hoisting; loading and securing loads for moving and placing heat treatment equipment;
  
  
• operate vehicles ranging from light to heavy trucks and trailers used to transport equipment to and from a site;
  
  
• demonstrate to clients that they have the safety training required for: working on industrial sites; working with heights over 6 meters; material safety for the hazardous materials found on industrial sites; training specific to heat treatment and the effect of heat on materials; and
  
  
• occasionally lift up to, or in excess of, 25 kilograms.

Employment and Advancement

Field heat treatment technicians work for companies that specialize in providing heat treatment services. In Alberta, the majority of the work is on high pressure welded pipes and vessels used in refineries, chemical processing or power generation. Heat treatment services are usually coordinated with construction and maintenance activities.  The occupation is small in size, highly specialized and international in scope. Field heat treatment technicians have to be trained for national, North American, and international industry standards.  Industry does the training, some of which is proprietary.  The need for training in new technologies and up-dated standards will be on-going. Safety training for industrial construction sites, metallurgy, heat-related science, trade math etc. may be available through other training providers.

Most of the industry is subject to wage and benefits agreements negotiated by the Quality Control Council (QCC). The negotiated hourly journeyperson rate for 2008/09 is $36.65.  Wage rates for field heat treatment technicians outside of the agreement with the QCC are comparable.

Certified field heat treatment technicians are expected to supervise crews of technicians as part of their regular duties. They may work independently as heat treatment consultants, or they may move into management positions including company ownership within the heat treatment contracted services industry.

Working in Alberta

A certificate is not required to work in Alberta. Field heat treatment is a designated occupation and participation is voluntary. The field heat treatment Competency Profile and standards for certification for field heat treatment technicians have been defined and approved under the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act.

To be certified an interested individual must:

• complete the Application for Certification in a Designated Occupation.  The application must be accompanied with proof that the individual has completed the industry training; and
  
  
• pass an industry approved examination administered by Advanced Education and Technology.

Individuals possessing a valid Alberta Journeyman Certificate, an Alberta Occupational Certificate or a document indicating that the individual holds a certificate that is recognized as equivalent to an Alberta trade or occupational certificate, are eligible to receive a Blue Seal business credential upon completing the necessary requirements.

Occupational Training

In order to become a field heat treatment technician, it is recommended that candidates have a high school diploma with a strong background in science; the ability to do trade math; good English verbal and written communication skills; and the ability to read technical documents written at a grade 12 or higher reading level. A trade or technology certificate in one of the welding, machining, pipe or metalworking trades would also be valuable.

A trainee acquires the necessary competencies through on-the-job training supplemented with industry provided formal training. The industry training required for certification is detailed in the AIT Board approved Competency Profile.

Industry is responsible for training field heat treatment technicians. On-the-job training is provided by the employer.  Formal classroom-based training may be provided by the employer, the Quality Control Council or other industry and/or public training providers.  Typically the training is provided after hiring.

Student loans, grants, scholarships and other financial assistance may be available.

Occupational Certification

To qualify for an Alberta Occupational Certificate based on completion of industry-established competencies, a person must:

• complete the Application for Certification in a Designated Occupation and submit it, along with proof they have completed the industry training as detailed in the competency profile to an Apprenticeship and Industry Training office;
  
  
• pay the non-refundable application fee as identified on the application form; and
  
  
• pass the industry approved examination.

Qualification Certificate Program

Individuals who can prove 72 months of experience with at least 12,000 hours of work experience as a Field Heat Treatment Technician may be eligible for a Qualification Certificate if they pass the industry exam.

Equivalency Certificate Program

To qualify for an Equivalency document based on a recognized certificate, a person must:

• complete the Equivalency Application and submit it to an Apprenticeship and Industry Training office; and
  
  
• pay the required fee.

To qualify for an Equivalency Document based on a non-recognized certificate, a person must:

• have a valid certificate or a completion of apprenticeship certificate from another Canadian province or territory but NOT a recognized certificate, as described above, and
  
  
• choose to write the exam(s), OR
  
  
• choose to have their skills and knowledge assessed as equivalent to those of an Alberta certified individual.

An applicant who chooses to write the exam(s) must:

• complete the Equivalency Application and submit it to an Apprenticeship and Industry Training office;
  
  
• pay the non-refundable application fee as identified on the application noted above;
  
  
• prepare for the exam(s) (see Exam Counselling Sheets) (Under Development)

An applicant who chooses to have his/her skills and knowledge assessed (instead of writing an exam) must:

• complete the Equivalency Application - Alternate Assessment and submit it to an Apprenticeship and Industry Training office; and
  
  
• pay the non-refundable application fee as identified on the application.