Your career as a construction plant fitter involves the maintenance, service and repair of all plant related equipment, from tools to heavy machinery. Let’s have a look at what a career as a construction plant fitter actually involves and how your career can develop.
Working as a Construction Plant Fitter
Your career in this field will involve working with all types of machinery including cranes, fabrication machinery, diggers, bulldozers and much more. In general, your role will involve roles such as:
- Performing regular servicing, checking and adjusting of machinery to ensure it is ready for any roles it is expected to perform on the site
- Having a good knowledge of all aspects of the equipment, such as; electrical, electronic, hydraulic, mechanical and pneumatic
- Using technology and computer diagnostics to perform accurate checks and repairs on machines
- Keeping well maintained logs of maintenance and repairs carried out on vehicles
- Being adept at using power tools and welding equipment in a secure manner
- Working with manufacturers and machine operators to understand the reason for faults and to devise long-lasting solutions where possible
- Having a deep knowledge of the health and safety concerns and protocols for any piece of construction equipment.
In your career as a construction plant fitter you will be expected to work alongside a wide variety of trades and roles throughout the construction and civil engineering process. Just some of these would be:
- Foreperson
- Site manager
- Health & Safety officer
- HSE officer
- Setting out engineer
- Mechanical engineer
- Documents controller
- Site clerk
- Heavy equipment operator
- Logistics technician
- Instrumentation technician
- Construction labourer
- Forklift driver
Professional Qualifications
One of the most common routes is via apprenticeships, where construction plant fitters learn the role ‘on the job’ with a construction company and also study for their qualifications in college over 7 phases of work and college based education. Once you have established yourself as a construction plant fitter, you can specialise in various types of machinery and operations. Due to innovation within this sector, constant training and upskilling in new methodologies, materials and equipment is advised if you are to have a successful career as a construction plant fitter. Your will also need to be very aware of Health & Safety and have the necessary certification.
How your Career can Develop
As a construction plant fitter you can choose to specialise in particular areas during your career, so you will need to upskill and earn any necessary certifications. You can specialise in areas such as industrial and civil engineering projects, domestic developments or other construction projects, whether in Ireland or overseas. Ultimately you can build up your own client base and start your own contracting or repair and maintenance business or work with large firms or contractors that would require your services as a construction plant fitter.