Chimney sweep supervisor

Chimney sweep supervisors oversee and coordinate the activities of chimney sweeps. They do quality checks and ensure compliance with safety regulations.

The following job titles also refer to chimney sweep supervisor:

smoke-stack sweeper supervisor
chimney sweeper supervisor
lump sweeper supervisor
flue sweeper supervisor
funnel sweeper supervisor
chimney-sweeping chief

An extensive experience as a chimney sweep is generally required to work as a chimney sweep supervisor.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Chimney sweep supervisor is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to chimney sweep supervisor.

chimney sweep
hotel butler
hotel concierge
restaurant host/restaurant hostess
barista

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of chimney sweep supervisor. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of chimney sweep supervisor with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

energy conservation officer
energy assessor
energy analyst
fire protection technician
life coach

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of chimney sweep supervisor.

• Ventilation systems: The types of mechanical ventilation systems that permits the exchange and circulation of air.
• Fire safety regulations: The legal rules to be applied for fire safety and fire prevention in a facility.
• Personal protective equipment: Types of protective materials and equipment foreseen for various types of tasks such as general or specialised cleaning activities.
• Fire prevention procedures: The regulations concerning fire and explosion prevention, and the equipment, systems and methods used in it.
• Domestic heating systems: The modern and traditional heating systems alimented by gas, wood, oil, biomass, solar power and other renewable energy sources and their energy saving principles.

These skills are necessary for the role of chimney sweep supervisor.

• Maintain relationship with customers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and services and by supplying after-sales information and service.
• Handle customer complaints: Administer complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.
• Maintain customer service: Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
• Report chimney defects: Inform property owners and relevant authorities on any chimney malfunctions.
• Examine ventilation system: Check ventilation systems for operationality and fire safety.
• Train chimney sweeps: Provide training and on the job instructions to newly hired chimney sweeps in order to align them with the company and industry’s working standards and procedures.
• Enforce chimney sweeping quality standards: Enforce and control the application of industry quality standards by chimney sweepers that are under your supervision.
• Coordinate the activities of chimney sweeps: Plan and prepare the work schedule of chimney sweepers under your supervision, to achieve efficiency and respond to client demands and requests.
• Enforce safety procedures when working at heights: Plan and prepare all documentation and equipment related to working at heights and its hazards in order to inform the workers under your supervision and instruct them how to work safely.
• Perform resource planning: Estimate the expected input in terms of time, human and financial resources necessary to achieve the project objectives.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of chimney sweep supervisor. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Environmental policy: Local, national and international policies dealing with the promotion of environmental sustainability and the development of projects which reduce negative environmental impact and improve the state of the environment.
• Energy: Power capacity in the form of mechanical, electrical, heat, potential, or other energy from chemical or physical resources, which can be used to drive a physical system.
• Energy performance of buildings: Factors that contribute to lower energy consumption of buildings. Building and renovation techniques used to achieve this. Legislation and procedures regarding energy performance of buildings.
• Construction product regulation: Regulations on construction products quality standards applied throughout the European Union.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of chimney sweep supervisor. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
• Create chimney inspection reports: Write the measurements, inspections and defects encountered after an intervention on chimney cleaning.
• Ensure compliance with waste legislative regulations: Implement and monitor company procedures for the collection, transport and disposal of waste, in compliance with all regulations and legal requirements.
• Analyse energy consumption: Evaluate and analyse the total amount of energy used by a company or an institution by assessing the needs linked to the operative processes and by identifying the causes of superfluous consumption.
• Drive vehicles: Be able to drive vehicles; have the approapriate type of driving license according to the type of motor vehicle used.
• Manage a small-to-medium business: Manage the organisational, financial and day-to-day operation of a small-to-medium enterprise.
• Advise on pollution prevention: Advise individuals and organisations on the development and implementation of actions which aid in the prevention of pollution and its related risks.
• Measure pollution: Conduct pollution measurements to determine whether the prescribed pollutant limits are respected. Check firing systems and exhaust paths of gas water heaters, air heaters, and similar equipment.
• Advise on potential safety hazards concerning heating systems: Provide information and advice to clients on the type of potential dangers they face, such as suffocation, CO-poisoning or fire, in cases where the fireplaces or chimneys are not swept for a long period of time.
• Advise on heating systems energy efficiency: Provide information and advice to clients on how to preserve an energy efficient heating system in their home or office and possible alternatives.
• Clean ventilation system: Clean combustion and ventilation systems and related equipment. Eliminate combustion residues and deposits by knocking, scraping, and burning.
• Inform customers on environmental protection: Provide customers with information on the impact their heating systems have on the environment and to what extent this impact can be reduced to a minimum by handling the systems in an environmentally friendly way or by using environmentally friendly systems.
• Clean chimney: Use tools to extract debris from chimneys by using a vacuum cleaner or brush suitable to remove the products of combustion within the flue.

7133 – Building structure cleaners

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References

1. Chimney sweep supervisor – ESCO