Drainage worker

Drainage workers assemble and maintain drainage and dewatering systems. They lay tubes or drainpipes to dry out the ground of a certain structure in order to put a hold to imminent groundwater. This work is usually performed under pavements and in basements.

The duties of a drainage worker include, but are not limited to:

• Measuring and configuring pipe routes.
• Gathering material and installation tools.
• Digging trenches using hand and machine trenching tools.
• Locating installed piping systems using magnetic or radio indicators.
• Removing old or broken piping systems.
• Laying pipes into trenches and applying pipe spacers.
• Checking pipe alignment and sealing pipes with cement glue.
• Installing auxiliary lines.
• Sealing exposed pipe joints and fittings.
• Filling and sealing pipe trenches.

Drainage workers work in a variety of settings, including homes, businesses, and industrial sites. They may work indoors or outdoors, depending on the job. They may be exposed to unpleasant odors, noise, and dirt. They may work in cramped, uncomfortable positions and be exposed to hazardous materials. They may work long hours, including evenings and weekends. They may be on call 24 hours a day.

The following job titles also refer to drainage worker:

drainage system installer
groundwater drainage worker
groundwater drainage operative
deep drainage worker
pipelayer
drainage pipe layer
drainage groundworker
drainage installer
deep drainage operative
drainage operative

Most drainage workers have at least a high school diploma. A vocational certificate in pipelaying or any related field is also sufficient.

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.

Drainage worker is a Skill level 1 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to drainage worker.

sewerage cleaner
road sign installer
waterway construction labourer
rail layer
civil engineering worker

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

sewer construction worker
bulldozer operator
concrete pump operator
sewerage network operative
pipeline maintenance worker

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of drainage worker.

• Mechanical systems: Mechanical systems, including gears, engines, hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Their functions and likely defects.
• Types of pipelines: Know various types of pipelines and their different usages. Differentiate between pipelines used to transport goods over short and long distances, and understand their respective feeding systems.
• Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.

These skills are necessary for the role of drainage worker.

• Inspect pipelines: Walk flow lines to identify damage or leaks; use electronic detection equipment and conduct visual inspections.
• Provide pipe bedding: Lay bedding in a trench to stabilise a pipe if called for. Lay bedding beneath the pipe and around it to protect from environmental influences.
• Create open drainage systems: Build drainage systems in compliance with technical specifications.
• Clear pipelines: Clear pipelines by pumping water or other substances through them, or wash the pipelines manually or using suitable machinery.
• Detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure: Detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure during construction or over the passage of time. Detect flaws such as construction defects, corrosion, ground movement, hot-tap made by error, and others.
• Keep airport drainage systems functional: Keep all the drainage systems in the airport functional-especially those in the runways. Aim to prevent the formation of standing water, ponds, and puddles.
• Inspect construction supplies: Check construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.
• Inspect drainage channels: Maintain and clear gutters, sewer systems, and other water carrying facilities to ensure proper drainage and prevent damage to infrastructure such as roads and railways.
• Perform drainage work: Dig draining ditches and lay the pipe or gutter installation to allow evacuation of surplus liquid and avoid subsidence or other damage.
• Manage sumps: Oversee correct operation of sumps; to make sure that the operations for collecting and removing the undesirable or excess liquid runs smoothly.
• Prevent pipeline deterioration: Ensure the conservation of pipelines by undertaking adequate maintenance of the system and its coating properties. Prevent corrosion formation, leaks, and other problems.
• Follow health and safety procedures in construction: Apply the relevant health and safety procedures in construction in order to prevent accidents, pollution and other risks.
• Assemble manufactured pipeline parts: Assemble parts and components made for pipelines in companies or sites. Construct pipeline infrastructures or re-assemble parts that were taken out for repair.
• Inspect sewers: Inspect sewage drains in order to detect explosive gases using gas analysis equipment.
• Use safety equipment in construction: Use elements of protective clothing such as steel-tipped shoes, and gear such as protective goggles, in order to minimise risk of accidents in construction and to mitigate any injury if an accident does occur.
• Operate sumps: Operate industrial sumps used to remove excess liquid such as water or chemicals.

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

• Types of bedding materials: Different types of bedding materials used to stabilise structures such as pipe. The differences in performance, availability and cost of the materials and their suitability for the purpose, climate and other stresses.
• Health and safety hazards underground: The rules and risks affecting health and safety when working underground. 
• Excavation techniques: The methods to remove rock and soil, used in an excavation site and the associated risks.

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

• Operate pumps: Operate industrial pumps used to remove excess liquid.
• Ensure regulatory compliance in pipeline infrastructures: Ensure that the regulations for pipeline operations are met. Ensure pipeline infrastructure compliance with legal mandates, and compliance with regulations governing the transportation of goods via the pipelines.
• Analyse various types of water: Collect and analyse samples of surface water and groundwater to analyse them.
• Design drainage well systems: Design systems which are found in residential properties as well as in public properties such as on streets and public building rooftops, and which function to drain excess water from these areas. They function to aid in flood remediation, remove rain, and minimise risk from heavy storms, and subsequently transport the untreated water into nature.
• Dig soil mechanically: Use mechanical equipment to dig up and move soil. Form pits according to excavation plans.
• Inspect construction sites: Ensure health and safety during the construction project by inspecting the construction site regularly. Identify risks of putting people in danger or of damaging construction equipment.
• Work in a construction team: Work as part of a team in a construction project. Communicate efficiently, sharing information with team members and reporting to supervisors. Follow instructions and adapt to changes in a flexible manner.
• Operate vacuum dewatering system: Operate a vacuum dewatering system which applies a vacuum to material in order to remove excess liquid.
• Install PVC piping: Lay different types and sizes of PVC piping in prepared spaces. Cut the piping to size and attach it by using glue or other systems. Make sure the piping has a clean edge, is free of strains and has the right tilt for fluids to run through.
• Install drainage well systems: Install systems which are found in residential properties as well as in public properties such as on streets and public building rooftops, and which function to drain excess water from these areas. They function to aid in flood remediation, remove rain, and minimise risk from heavy storms, and subsequently transport the untreated water into nature.
• Test pipeline infrastructure operations: Perform tests on pipelines, such checking whether there is continuous flow of materials through them, examining for leakages, and assessing the suitability of the location of the pipeline is.
• Operate excavator: Operate excavators used to dig materials from the surface and load them onto dump trucks.
• Operate GPS systems: Use GPS Systems.
• Use measurement instruments: Use different measurement instruments depending on the property to be measured. Utilise various instruments to measure length, area, volume, speed, energy, force, and others.
• Transport pipes: Transport pipes manually or by operating equipment such as mechanical lifts and truck winches.
• Set up temporary construction site infrastructure: Set up a variety of temporary infrastructure used on building sites. Put up fences and signs. Set up any construction trailers and make sure that these are connected to electricity lines and water supply. Establish supplies stores and garbage disposal in a sensible manner.
• Repair pipelines: Conduct maintenance and repair work on pipelines to prevent or remedy damages using, if necessary, remote-controlled robots.

9312 – Civil engineering labourers

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References

1. ESCO
2. Drain Technician Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – ClimbtheLadder
3. Pipe Layer Job Description – Betterteam
4. Featured image: By Infrogmation of New Orleans – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0