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home Construction and the built environment
Industrial thermal insulation technician

Industrial thermal insulation technician

Construction and the built environment

Level 3 - Technical Occupation

Applying and fabricating insulation and cladding materials.

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Reference: OCC0521

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

Average (median) salary: £26,954 per year

SOC 2020 code: 8159 Construction operatives n.e.c.

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 8159/08 Insulation engineers
  • 9129/05 Insulation labourers

Technical Education Products

ST0521:

Industrial thermal insulation technician

(Level 3)

Approved for delivery

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Cambridge Regional College, Altrad, CGB Humbertherm, Envirotherm, Essex Thermal, Kaefer Ltd, Powertherm Contract Services, TICA

Summary

This occupation is found within the Construction industry. Depending upon the industry sector, Thermal Insulation Technicians may work on a diverse range of sites working wherever pipework and services are located i.e. inside the plant or outside on the wider site:

  • Process Plants (Chemical, food, brewing etc)
  • Commercial Construction sites (Offices, Hotels, Schools, Leisure & Hospitals etc)
  • Shipyards.
  • Power Generation (Oil, Gas, Nuclear etc)

The broad purpose of the occupation for Thermal Insulation Technician apply multi-layer applications of specialist insulation systems, comprising of layers of high performance insulation, vapour barriers and weatherproof cladding

In their daily work a Thermal Insulation Technician creates bespoke patterns using technical drawing equipment to fabricate specialist cladding materials, which are applied on top of specialist insulation systems to complex pipework, ductwork and vessels. The cladding material is required to protect the insulation system from environmental damage.

An employee in this occupation can expect to work in a supervisory capacity, mentoring and advising other operatives and assisting with the management of projects. They will ensure the appropriate standard and quality of work is maintained and that it conforms to the design specifications, taking any corrective actions they consider necessary.

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Cambridge Regional College, Altrad, CGB Humbertherm, Envirotherm, Essex Thermal, Kaefer Ltd, Powertherm Contract Services, TICA

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Mid Green occupation

Typical job titles include:

Industrial thermal insulation technician

Keywords:

Insulation Technician
Technician
Thermal
Thermal Insulation
Thermal Insulation Technician

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Health and safety regulations, relevance to the occupation and the technicians responsibilities. Health and Safety at Work Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH). Manual handling, Working at height, Slips, trips and falls, Fire Safety and Environmental Awareness.
K2: Methods of interpreting and extracting relevant information from drawings, specifications and work instructions using paper based or digital methods.
K3: Resource calculation techniques: quantity, length and area of materials used for insulation and cladding to minimise waste.
K4: Principles of manual technical drawing used to design and develop bespoke cladding patterns for simple and complex fabrication methods
K5: Methods of fabricating sheet metal cladding: simple and complex parallel line, radial line and triangulation
K6: Characteristics of bespoke cladding systems: vapour barriers and weatherproof cladding
K7: Characteristics of multi layered insulation systems: closed cell and open cell insulation
K8: Principles and methods of selecting and installing multi layered insulation systems: closed cell and open cell insulation
K9: Specialist thermal installation techniques: multi layer, closely fitting and staggered joints of pipework, ductwork, storage tanks, vessels, reactors, turbines, boilers and bulkheads.
K10: Principles of thermal conductivity in insulation products: temperatures and personnel protection.
K11: Techniques of cladding fabrication for: pipework, ductwork of storage tanks, vessels, reactors, turbines, boilers and bulkheads.
K12: Principles of procurement and supply chain management in the thermal insulation industry.
K13: Environmental and sustainability regulations and guidance within the insulation industry: carbon footprint impacts, costs and benefits.
K14: Principles and techniques for the selection and installation of sheet metal and specialist cladding systems: jointing, sealing and weatherproofing.
K15: Organisational health and safety policies and procedures, and principles of selecting and using personal protective equipment
K16: Safe systems of work, control measure implementation and monitoring techniques: risk assessment, method statements and permit to work.
K17: Assess and mitigate the risk of asbestos exposure in the refurbishment environment.
K18: Principles of using specialist equipment for fabricating metal cladding: swagers, lock formers, guillotine, folder, edgers and roller.
K19: Principles of checking, using and storing portable power tools; drills, nibblers and rivet guns.
K20: Principles of checking, using and storing hand tools: technical drawing tools, measuring tools, application tools.
K21: Planning and time management techniques.
K22: Coaching, mentoring and supervision techniques.
K23: Principles of quality control and assurance in the thermal insulation industry.
K24: Legislative guidance relating to equity, diversity, and inclusivity in the workplace.
K25: Well-being: mental and physical health considerations in self and others and how to access support.
K26: Written communication methods: digital and paper based: plant registers, quality assurance documents, risk assessments, method statements, work permits, site registers and induction registers.
K27: Verbal communication techniques and Industry specific thermal Insulation terminology.
K28: Principles of the erection and dismantling of portable scaffold towers.
K29: Methods of fixing pipework, duct support bracketry, hangers and minimising thermal and fire passage.

S1: Select and use personal protective equipment and apply health and safety policies and procedures
S2: Interpret and extract information using paper based or digital techniques from drawings and specifications to inform work instructions.
S3: Communicate design specification and product requirements to others.
S4: Calculate resource and cost quantities from site specifications.
S5: Design and develop manual technical drawings for bespoke cladding patterns involving simple and complex fabrication methods: design specification, location and environmental impacts including weather conditions.
S6: Select and install multi layered insulation systems: closed cell and open cell insulation.
S7: Fabricate sheet metal and specialist cladding from patterns, applying simple and complex parallel line, radial line and triangulation methods
S8: Select and install fabricated cladding to, for example: pipework, ductwork, associated equipment: storage tanks, vessels, reactors, fractionation towers, turbines, boilers or bulkheads.
S9: Use specialist equipment for fabricating metal cladding: swagers, lockformers, guillotine, folder, edgers and rollers.
S10: Check, use and store portable power tools for example: drills, nibblers and rivet guns.
S11: Check, use and store hand tools for example: technical drawing tools, measuring tools, application tools.
S12: Apply planning and time management techniques to identify project plan targets.
S13: Communicate with others verbally for example, internal and external customers, colleagues, and managers.
S14: Coach, mentor and supervise other thermal insulators.
S15: Procure tools, equipment and materials.
S16: Supervise the safe and secure handling and storage of tools, equipment and materials.
S17: Supervise the erection and dismantling of portable scaffold towers and work safely at heights to comply with The Work at Height Regulations.
S18: Complete documentation - paper based or digital. For example, plant registers, quality assurance documents, risk assessments, method statements, work permits, site registers and induction registers.
S19: Implement and monitor safe systems of work and control measures.

B1: Promotes health and safety for self and others.
B2: Team focused, working with colleagues and others.
B3: Acts professionally.
B4: Support an inclusive culture.
B5: Contribute towards a sustainable workplace.
B6: Committed to continued professional development (CPD) for self and others to maintain and enhance competence.

Duties

Duty D1

Work in compliance with occupational health, safety and environmental requirements to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of self and others at all times.

Duty D2

Carry out their work in compliance with all current and relevant regulations and quality standards, where appropriate checking the work of others for compliance.

Duty D3

Ensure compliance with quality standards and site specifications.

Duty D4

Proactively collaborate with stakeholders, clients and other colleagues to assess site conditions, ensuring good relationships are developed and maintained.

Duty D5

Supervise activities of Thermal Insulation operatives including following technical design specification, instructions and data sheets including digital information

Duty D6

Plan work to ensure optimum quality and efficiency from the team, in line with weather conditions

Duty D7

Maintain a clear and safe worksite at all times, promoting sustainability practices

Duty D8

Design and develop patterns, fit and fabricate cladding and procure resources and materials in line with job specifications and instructions

Duty D9

Carry out continuous professional development to maintain knowledge of current and future developments affecting the role and share with others

Occupational Progression

This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.

In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.

It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.

Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.

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Construction and the built environment