•  Training Officer Welding/Boiler Operations, National Training & Productivity Centre, FNU.

There is an increasing demand for trade skills in Fiji, and one of them is boiler making.

While there is great emphasis for better business practices to sustain a healthy environment, there is also an interest to upskill local boilermakers.

Boilermakers can work for refineries or construction or natural resource companies, or they can find careers as metal fabricators or power or water plant operators.

Boilermakers build and install boilers and large containers that store gases or liquids such as oil. For a boilermaker, a typical day would involve welding metal components, inspecting industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operations, and maintaining mechanical equipment.

One of the responsibilities of a boilermaker is to repair or replace defective pressure vessel parts such as safety valves or regulators, and study blueprints to inspect and locate any defects. Boilermakers conduct routine tests and carry out maintenance on boilers, often upgrading boilers to increase its efficiency while meeting the environmental standards.

Other names for this job might include Assembler, Boiler Control Technician, Boiler Erector, Boiler Fitter, Boiler Installer, Boiler Maker, Boiler Mechanic, Boiler Repairman, and Boiler Service Technician.

BOILER TRAINING

There are many types of boilers for generating steam in many industrial processes, including manufacturing, refining, chemical processing and power generation. Some of the types of boilers are water tube boilers, fire tubes boilers, tube less boilers, and electrical boilers.

The burner is the heart of a boiler system, providing the necessary combustion of fossil fuels.

Yet, if the burner is the heart, then the combustion controls — which manage air and fuel flow to the burner — are the brains of the boiler system.

Airflow must be controlled and balanced, and sufficient quantity must be provided to ensure complete fuel combustion with minimal unburned hydrocarbons.

At the same time, too much airflow can decrease boiler efficiency. This balance is determined by the combustion control scheme.

However this article we look at safety training and the maintenance routines used to ensure that boilers remain at its peak efficiency.

The National Training and Productivity Centre has developed practical trainings for boiler and plant operations.

Maintenance staff are taken through training regardless of the boiler make and associated equipment.

These courses provide efficient and practical training for boiler operators, plant maintenance personnel, or indeed anyone associated with the safe operation and maintenance of boiler plant.

This program is structured to extend boiler life, improve boiler efficiency, and save energy costs for the employer, while establishing a culture of safe work practices among the employees.

The end result is, a well trained staff not only delivering better results through operational efficiency, but operators who feel more valued and have higher morale and are better motivated workers.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Technical training on Boiler operations, at NTPC started back in 2014. It was basically theory training.

In 2016, changes were made to include the practical aspects of boiler operations.

Now any participant enrolling into the program will start with the basics then move up to the next level- intermediate than advanced boiler operation and finally boiler maintenance.

From 2016 to date we have trained more than 140 participants from the industry in boiler operations. And some organizations that have requested in house Boiler and maintenance training include Goodman Fielder, Humes Fiji Limited, Paradise Beverages and Valebasoga Tropic Boards.

The growing number of participants attending these training programs indicate the demand in the industry for workers to ensure and follow correct work procedures in operating, trouble shooting, conducting servicing and maintenance needs on boilers.

The course outline covers:

•  Feed water correct treatment
•  Boiler water analysis
•  The different impurities in feed water
•  Carry out maintenance requirements.
•  Safety checks carried out before inspection is carried out.
•  Safety checks carried out before closing the boiler
• The maintenance during annual maintenance
•  The start-up checks
• The importance of log books
• The daily, weekly, monthly, semi-annually and annual checks.
• The accessories & control of boilers.
•  The different types of shell boiler with layouts
•  The different types of economic boiler with layouts
• Boiler maintenance and servicing
• Boiler trouble shooting

MEETING THE INDUSTRY NEEDS

NTPC is equipped with the best boiler training program. Our trainer has an O.H.S Boiler Certification from Australia, under the Queensland Department of Industrial Relation and has conducted boiler operations training in various organizations in Fiji. We can also tailor make trainings to suite the various organizational in house needs.

Why should you undertake this

training?

Engineers and factory supervisors have also shown interest in this training. So it’s not only limited to boiler operators and boiler attendants.

It is always best to grow knowledge of machines that are being used on a daily basis.

For instance, the efficiency of a boiler could be improved by simple temperature checks and adjustments.

The challenge for boiler personals is not only to efficiently operate the boiler but to fully understand the factory operations in regards to steam cycle.

The holistic approach to boiler operations is to link the operations of the boiler to the factory operations.

With this understanding the participants from these trainings will be able to make improvements in their factories and have monetary savings.

Feedback: maraia.vula@fijisun.com.fj