What Do Structural Iron and Steel Workers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Structural Iron and Steel Workers raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings. They also read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.

Other tasks include:

• Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
• Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
• Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope.
• Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural steel members.
• Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
• Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment.

We asked Structural Iron and Steel Workers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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63% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 48% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Structural Iron and Steel Workers read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required. They connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.

A typical day for a Structural Iron and Steel Worker will also include:

• Hold rivets while riveters use air hammers to form heads on rivets.
• Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
• Pull, push, or pry structural steel members into approximate positions for bolting into place.
• Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
• Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.

We asked some Structural Iron and Steel Workers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	47% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	66% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	71% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	19% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	14% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	47% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Structural Iron and Steel Workers also catch hot rivets in buckets and insert rivets in holes, using tongs. They may also assemble hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Structural Iron and Steel Workers Dismantle structures or equipment. They might also Insert sealing strips, wiring, insulating material, ladders, flanges, gauges, or valves, depending on types of structures being assembled.

In addition, they Force structural steel members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, or hand tools.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Ride on girders or other structural steel members to position them or use rope to guide them into position.

To some Structural Iron and Steel Workers, it is also their responsibility to Unload and position prefabricated steel units for hoisting as needed.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.

In a typical work week as a Structural Iron and Steel Worker, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/construction-and-extraction/structural-iron-and-steel-workers.htm

http://www.ironworkers.org/

http://www.nccer.org/curriculum?mID=86

http://www.abc.org/