Electrician Job Responsibilities
The two primary goals of the electrician are to keep the electrical systems at his or her job site operating efficiently, and to ensure the safety of all systems. Other responsibilities are job-specific. For example, one electrician’s job is draftsman, which requires the person to create electrical schematics for others to use to buy and install the electrical systems. The chief electrician will be responsible for training apprentice electricians or supervising other electricians. In addition, the electrician may be responsible for conducting safety training, regular inspections, and similar tasks.
In Focus: Oil Rig Electrician Jobs
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an increase in the number of electrician jobs by 23 percent by 2020 for most electricians in the commercial sector. This is due to the increasing number of electrical equipment used by all businesses, including those in the oil and gas industry.
Electricians must receive special training and in most states, they must also be licensed. Licensing requirements vary from state to state, but they usually include the completion of a formal training or apprenticeship program, a certain number of hours of on the job training, and taking and passing a test. Once an electrician is licensed, he or she is considered a journeyman.
Common Responsibilities Include:
- Develop and design electrical control systems for oil and gas drilling equipment.
- Produce required documents, drawings/schematics, and procedures related to the electrical systems.
- Write routine reports and correspondence.
- Create electrical drawing packages using software or current technology.
- Install electrical equipment onsite.
- Maintain and make repairs to electrical equipment onsite.
- Conduct daily inspections on all systems and report any potential issues.
- Ensure that all required records are maintained.
- Troubleshoot all electrical systems and make recommendations for upgrades, repairs, maintenance, etc.
- Calibrate and modify systems according to site needs.
- Provide electrical technical support to all areas of the rig or site.
- Maintain an adequate supply of parts for emergency repairs.
- Assist the maintenance supervisor or chief engineer with preparing the maintenance and repair budget for the electrical systems.
- Supervise other electricians.
- Ensure that all regulatory requirements are met.
In the oil and gas industry, electricians are in demand at most facilities, but especially at drilling and extraction sites and refineries across the globe. Today, there are a growing number of drilling sites in the United States especially due to “fracking.”