Jobs and Career Progression
Brick/Pre-cast Concrete Installer/Refractory Plant Operative [872]
What is the work like?
Brick, precast concrete and refractory plant operatives help in the production of the following:
- Construction goods such as bricks, blocks, tiles street furniture, concrete floors and cladding for buildings, bridge sections etc.
- There are two types of manufactured concrete - ready-mixed concrete (concrete in its plastic state) and pre-cast concrete (hardened concrete units, cast and cured at a factory and then transported to a work site), such as bridge sections, kerbstones and street lights.
- Refractories, which are heat-resistant materials that are used to line high-temperature furnaces, boilers, kilns, stills and reactors and other processing units. They are used in high temperature applications and other severe environments. These materials are supplied in both shaped and loose form. Specialist firms are used to install the linings.
Raw materials are delivered to brick, precast concrete and refractory plants and discharged into stores or silos. Individual operative jobs vary but many are largely concerned with operating machinery. Jobs include one or more of the following:
- Crushing - some raw materials, such as clay for bricks and refractories, need crushing. Operatives load the materials into a crushing machine, then operate the machine before discharging the crushed material into hoppers.
- Batching - this is the process of combining the raw materials in the right proportions and loading them into a mixer. Operatives usually do this by operating computer-controlled machinery from a control room. They also operate the mixing machines.
- Bricks are formed using moulds. This is usually done by machinery operated by plant operatives. Operatives use machinery to stack pressed bricks onto kiln cars before firing. Some bricks are handmade, and after firing are sorted by hand into grades and colours.
- Kiln operation - operatives are involved in the operation of kilns in brick manufacture. They use machinery to load the raw materials into a kiln for them to be subjected to intense heat. Operatives then use equipment to load the bricks into packs for despatching to customers.
- Precast concrete - operatives set up formwork (moulds), which, in the case of large precast items, may include steel reinforcement. They pour concrete into the formwork. When the concrete has set they use lift trucks and cranes to transport the finished items to a storage area.
- Quality checking - some operatives are responsible for quality checking, for example, checking that bricks are of the right size, colour and quality.
- Packing - in some cases, operatives fill bags with finished products, such as refractory material. In others, packing is highly automated.
- Delivery - With bricks and precast concrete items, operatives use a lift truck or crane to load their products. When they reach the delivery site they use a crane to unload the goods. Drivers also deal with delivery paperwork.
- Housekeeping - operatives are responsible for keeping work areas as clean as possible to reduce the risk of accidents.
Plant operatives may operate a range of machinery, electrical process and control equipment and may also use lift trucks and small tools.
Starting salaries are around £12,150 a year.
Hours and environment
There are no standard hours of work, but many operatives work a basic 38 to 40 hour week. Some operatives work shifts and can be on call. Others work 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Overtime is common.
Working conditions vary between jobs. Some work takes place in comfortable control rooms. Other jobs can be more physical, but most lifting is done by machinery. Conditions can be potentially dusty, although dust control systems are used. Working conditions can be hot near kilns and drying machines and cold when working outside, for example when storing pre-cast concrete items. Care has to be taken with wet concrete, which can cause skin burns. Some jobs involve working at heights.
Operatives wear protective equipment including safety boots, hard hats, goggles, high-visibility jackets and, sometimes, masks. With precast concrete, drivers travel locally, as most deliveries tend to be no more than a few miles away.
Salary and other benefits
These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.
- Entrants to the job usually earn around £12,150 a year.
- Experienced operatives may earn up over £20,000 a year.
Some employers operate a profit-related bonus scheme.
Skills and personal qualities
A brick/concrete/refractory plant operative should:
- be able to work accurately
- be health and safety conscious
- have common sense
- be reliable
- be flexible
- be able to work on their own initiative
- be able to follow instructions
- work well in a team.
Interests
It is important to:
- enjoy working with machinery
- like practical work.
Getting in
There are about 80 brick factories in the UK, with three major employers and some small firms. The number of operatives in the brick industry has decreased in the past few years.
There are around 850 pre-cast concrete manufacturers throughout the UK, with some concentration in the East Midlands. Although there are some major employers, many firms are very small. There are four cement manufacturers in the UK, operating 15 major plants.
The concrete industry has undergone rationalisation and increased automation in recent years.
There are around 15 refractory manufacturers in the UK, concentrated around the Sheffield area. The number of people employed in the industry has been decreasing.
Vacancies are advertised in local newspapers, Construction News, Jobcentre Plus offices and in Connexions Centres.
Entry for young people
There are no set entry qualifications. Applicants must be able to read and write and some GCSEs/S grades, particularly in English and maths can be useful for those wishing to progress to supervisory grades. Applicants may be asked to take numeracy and general intelligence tests, and undergo a medical to make sure they are fit enough to perform the job. Some jobs will require entrants to have normal colour vision where they need to check the colour of a product.
Operatives can be accepted on leaving school but cannot drive a lift truck unsupervised before they are 18 years old.
Entry for adults
There is no upper age limit for entry to this work. Experience of lift truck driving can be helpful.
Training
When they start work, entrants receive induction training which usually includes learning about the company, health and safety, staff welfare and their conditions of employment.
They learn the job under the supervision of an experienced worker. They may also be trained in lift truck driving.
Getting on
Promotion may be to supervisory posts, such as team leader, then to production manager. It may be possible to transfer to other work in the manufacturing or construction sectors.
Related jobs
Chemical Plant Process Worker
Construction Operative
Lift Truck Operator
Packing Operative/Manager
Plant Operator
Plastics Process Operative
Quarry Worker/Plant Operative
Further information
British Precast, 60 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FB. 0116 253 6161. Website: www.britishprecast.org
The Concrete Centre, Riverside House, 4 Meadows Business Park, Station Approach, Blackwater, Camberley GU17 9AB. Helpline: 0700 4500 500. Website: www.concretecentre.com
Proskills UK, Centurion Court, 85b Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RY. 01235 833844. Website: www.proskills.co.uk
Further reading
Working in manufacturing - Connexions
(Some may be priced)
