HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS
Main Duties
Welders perform some or all of the following duties:
- Check bulldozers, cranes, graders and other heavy construction, agricultural, logging and mining equipment for proper performance and inspect equipment to detect faults and malfunctions
- Diagnose faults or malfunctions using computerized and other testing equipment to determine extent of repair required
- Adjust equipment and repair or replace defective parts, components or systems, using hand and power tools
- Test repaired equipment for proper performance and to ensure that work meets manufacturers' specifications
- Clean, lubricate and perform other routine maintenance work on equipment
- Service attachments and working tools such as harvesting and tillage equipment, blades, ploughs, winches and side booms
- May perform repair work on heavy trucks
- May attach components and adjust new farm equipment.
- Heavy-duty and farm equipment mechanics may specialize in specific types of machinery such as combines or tracked vehicles, or in engine overhaul, power shift transmissions, fuel injection, hydraulics or electronics.
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three- to five-year apprenticeship program
or
A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in heavy equipment repair is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. - Heavy-duty equipment mechanic trade certification is compulsory in Quebec and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories.
- Farm equipment mechanic trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
- Interprovincial trade certification (Red Seal) is also available to qualified heavy-duty equipment technicians and farm equipment mechanics.
- Executive chefs may progress to managerial positions in food preparation establishments.
- Red Seal trade certification for mobile crane operators allows for interprovincial mobility.
