Structural ironwork supervisor

Description

Structural ironwork supervisors monitor ironworking activities. They assign tasks and take quick decisions to resolve problems.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to structural ironwork supervisor:

structural steel fitting supervisor
steel fitting supervisor
structural ironworks supervisor
structural steelwork supervisor
steel erection supervisor
rebar supervisor
structural ironwork foreman
construction ironwork supervisor

Minimum qualifications

A high school diploma or equivalent is generally required to work as a structural ironwork supervisor.

ISCO skill level

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.

Structural ironwork supervisor is a Skill level 3 occupation.

Structural ironwork supervisor career path

Similar occupations

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

water conservation technician supervisor
crane crew supervisor
construction painting supervisor
construction scaffolding supervisor
paperhanger supervisor

Long term prospects

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

construction general contractor
installation engineer
quantity surveyor
construction manager
welding engineer

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of structural ironwork supervisor.

  • Metal joining technologies: The various technologies used for the joining and assembling of fabricated metal workpieces.
  • Types of metal: Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.
  • Types of sawing blades: Types of cutting blades used in the sawing process, such as band saw blades, crosscut blades, plytooth blades and others, made from tool steel, carbide, diamond or other materials.
  • Metal thermal conductivity: The property of metals to conduct heat.
  • Rivet types: The various types of rivets used in manufacturing, such as solid head rivets, blind rivets, drive rivets, semi-tubular rivets, oscar rivets, flush rivets, and others.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of structural ironwork supervisor.

  • Spot metal imperfections: Observe and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fractures, leaks, and other signs of wear.
  • Manage health and safety standards: Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company’s health and safety programmes.
  • Monitor stock level: Evaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.
  • 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.
  • Inspect construction supplies: Check construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.
  • Ensure compliance with construction project deadline: Plan, schedule and monitor the building processes in order to ensure completion of the project by the set deadline.
  • Ensure equipment availability: Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
  • Plan shifts of employees: Plans shifts of employees to ensure completion of all customer orders and satisfactory completion of the production plan.
  • 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.
  • Evaluate employees work: Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity.
  • Supervise staff: Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
  • Process incoming construction supplies: Receive incoming construction supplies, handle the transaction and enter the supplies into any internal administration system.
  • Interpret 3D plans: Interpret and understand plans and drawings in manufacturing processes which include representations in three dimensions.
  • Recognise signs of corrosion: Recognise the symptoms of metal showing oxidation reactions with the environment resulting in rusting, copper pitting, stress cracking, and others, and estimate the rate of corrosion.
  • 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.
  • Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
  • Guide operation of heavy construction equipment: Guide a colleague in operating a piece of heavy construction equipment. Follow the operation closely and understand when feedback is called for. Use communication techniques like voice, two-way radio, agreed-upon gestures and whistles to signal the appropriate information to the operator.
  • Guide cranes: Guide a crane operator in operating the crane. Stay in contact with the operator visually, vocally, or using communication equipment to make sure the crane operation is completed in a safe and efficient manner.
  • Interpret 2D plans: Interpret and understand plans and drawings in manufacturing processes which include representations in two dimensions.
  • Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

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

  • Riveting machine types: The various types of machines used for riveting purposes, their qualities and applications, such as the impact riveting machine, radial riveting machine, orbital riveting machine, rollerform riveting machine, and others.
  • Construction product regulation: Regulations on construction products quality standards applied throughout the European Union.
  • Cost management: The process of planning, monitoring and adjusting the expenses and revenues of a business in order to achieve cost efficiency and capability.

Optional skills and competences

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

  • Advise on construction materials: Provide advice on and test a wide range of construction materials.
  • Apply soldering techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of soldering, such as soft soldering, silver soldering, induction soldering, resistance soldering, pipe soldering, mechanical and aluminium soldering.
  • Work ergonomically: Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.
  • Prepare pieces for joining: Prepare metal or other material workpieces for joining processes by cleaning the workpieces, checking their measurements with the technical plan and marking on the pieces where they’ll be joined.
  • Provide first aid: Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid in order to provide help to a sick or injured person until they receive more complete medical treatment.
  • Answer requests for quotation: Make up prices and documents for the products that customers may purchase.
  • Apply arc welding techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of arc welding, such as shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding and flux-cored arc welding.
  • Operate manual planer: Operate a non-automatic or semi-automatic, manual planer for cutting workpiece surfaces, making them levelled.
  • Apply spot welding techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of welding metal workpieces under pressure exercised by electrodes, such as projection welding, radius style electrodes spot welding and eccentric electrodes spot welding.
  • Apply thermite welding techniques: Weld using equipment that operates based on an exothermic reaction fuelled by thermite.
  • Apply brazing techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of brazing, such as torch brazing, braze welding and dip brazing.
  • Rig loads: Safely attach loads to different types of hooks and attachments, taking into account the weight of the load, the power available to move it, static and dynamic tolerances of all instruments and materials, and the mass distribution of the system. Communicate with the operator verbally or with gestures to ensure the safety and efficiency of the operation. Detach loads.
  • Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
  • Calculate needs for construction supplies: Take measurements on site and estimate the amount of materials required for the construction or restoration project.
  • Manipulate glass: Manipulate the properties, shape and size of glass.
  • Operate handheld riveting equipment: Operate various kinds of tools and equipment used in riveting processes, such a pin hammer and a rivet set, handheld squeezers, a hammer and bucking bar, a pneumatic hammer, a rivet gun, and others.
  • Estimate restoration costs: Estimate the cost implications of restoring and replacing products or parts.
  • Operate oxy-fuel cutting torch: Operate a cutting torch fueled by oxyacetylene gas safely to perform cutting processes on a workpiece.
  • Order construction supplies: Order required materials for the construction project, taking care to purchase the most suitable material for a good price.
  • Tend metal planer: Tend a planer machine designed to cut excess material from a workpiece in order to create a flat surface, monitor and operate it according to regulations.
  • Program a CNC controller: Set up the desired product design in the CNC controller of the CNC machine for product manufacturing.
  • Provide technical expertise: Provide expert knowledge in a particular field, especially concerning mechanical or scientific subjects, to decision makers, engineers, technical staff or journalists.
  • Negotiate supplier arrangements: Reach an agreement with the supplier upon technical, quantity, quality, price, conditions, storage, packaging, send-back and other requirements related to the purchasing and delivering process.
  • Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
  • Tie reinforcing steel: Tie together bars of reinforced steel or rebar to ensure stability of the structure before concrete is poured. Use metal wire to tie the bars together at every second, third or fourth intersection as required. Use the standard flat tie or more advances ties such as saddle ties and figure 8 ties to support heavier loads such as workers standing or climbing on the rebar structure.
  • Tend metal sawing machine: Tend sawing machine designed for metal cutting processes, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.
  • Follow safety procedures when working at heights: Take necessary precautions and follow a set of measures that assess, prevent and tackle risks when working at a high distance from the ground. Prevent endangering people working under these structures and avoid falls from ladders, mobile scaffolding, fixed working bridges, single person lifts etc. since they may cause fatalities or major injuries.
  • Set up reinforcing steel: Set up reinforcing steel, or rebar, to be used for reinforced concrete construction. Set mats and columns securely in place to prepare for concrete pouring. Use separator blocks called dobies to keep the construction from the ground.

ISCO group and title

3123 – Construction supervisors


References
  1. Structural ironwork supervisor – ESCO
Last updated on June 11, 2023