How to Become a Boiler Inspector in 2022

by Usama Chaudry on July 24, 2022

If you’re considering becoming a boiler inspector, you’re at the right place.

Boiler inspectors are in charge of assessing the safety of the individual gear, ensuring that all boiler systems are up to date regarding safety standards, and providing customers, corporations, and manufacturers access to the latest information.

Learning more about this profession may assist you in making an informed decision about if it’s a career path that suits you.

With that in mind, we will discuss how to become a boiler inspector, the annual median salary, and the employment responsibilities of these workers in this article. Furthermore, we will also help you discover the skills, competencies, educational requirements, and the best way to find boiler inspector jobs.

So without wasting a further second, let’s start our discussion right away.

How to Become a Boiler Inspector

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to become a boiler inspector:

  1. Obtain an education
  2. Attain Certifications
  3. Complete boiler inspector training
  4. Earn Experience

1. Obtain an education

Firstly, you generally need to acquire a high school diploma or GED to become a boiler inspector in Canada. Besides that, most firms will demand you to obtain a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree in engineering before they hire you for a boiler inspector job, though this is not always mandatory.

2. Attain certifications

The next step in becoming a boiler inspector is to study for and pass the tests required to obtain certificates from various organizations. Certifications will demonstrate that you have the skills and commitment essential for the boiler inspector position.

3. Complete boiler inspector training

After obtaining the necessary education and certifications, you should consider completing boiler inspector training. For this, you can enroll in a technical school or local college that offers classes to prepare individuals for practice in this profession. Throughout the training, you will gain knowledge of metallurgy, boiler operation, and various boiler systems. You will also learn to carry out daily tasks and abide by safety practices.

4. Earn experience

Lastly, your primary focus should be gaining entry-level experience in construction, installation, or as an operational steam engineer or boiler maker. Earning this experience can help you acquire practical skills that will benefit you in the long run.

Duties and Responsibilities of Boilers Inspector

A boiler inspector’s job description entails the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Verifying compliance with safety rules and regulations by assessing steam boilers, air tanks, liquefied gas tanks, and other pressure vessels.
  • Analyzing the requirements, layouts, and illustrations of boilers and other vessels.
  • Discuss issues relating to the creation, functioning, and maintenance of pressure vessels with engineers, contractors, designers, and workers.
  • Inspecting pressure vessel-related mishaps to identify their causes and devising strategies to ensure they do not occur in the future.
  • Maintaining records and producing reports on audits and inquiries for administrative or judicial bodies.
  • Directing the rectification of any subpar work, resources, or other circumstances that go against the legal regulations.
  • Utilizing a hydrostatic pressure pump to conduct hydrostatic testing to find leaks and defects in boiler apparatus.
  • Informing the manager when pressure vessels or boilers don’t comply with the regulations so they can take the necessary action.

Essential Skills for a Boiler Inspector

We’ll now take a look at some of the critical skills and competencies required to excel when performing duties in the boiler inspector job:

  1. Communication Skills
  2. Attention to Details
  3. Proactiveness
  4. Capability to function under pressure

1. Communication Skills

Boiler inspector jobs include reading and comprehending documents and reporting to managers on the performance and reliability of a boiler system. Therefore, boiler inspectors must have practical oral and written communication skills to convey and receive essential information successfully.

2. Attention to detail

Boiler inspectors devote significant time to thoroughly monitoring and examining the systems. That’s why they must pay great attention to details and have a sharp eye to identify even the minute components that contribute to a system’s malfunction.

3. Proactiveness

Boiler inspectors must assess and pinpoint potential dangers and note them to avoid the harm that could lead to a system’s failure. Being proactive can help you detect possible risks, put preventive measures in place, and foresee the facility’s current requirements.

4. Capability to function under pressure

If the boiler system breaks down, industrial operations may be suspended until it is fixed. As a result, there may be more pressure on the boiler inspectors because managers may want them to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Therefore, boiler inspectors must possess fortitude and the capacity to function under pressure.

Educational Requirements for Boiler Inspector

Following are the educational requirements that are essential and will be beneficial in becoming a boiler inspector in Canada:

  • Obtaining a High School Diploma or GED.
  • Pursuing a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree in engineering.
  • Attaining relevant certifications from numerous organizations.

How Much Does a Boiler Inspector Make in Canada?

There are many highest-paying jobs in Canada, and the boiler inspector jobs are no exception.

The median boiler inspector’s salary in Canada is CAD 65,256 per year, which translates to CAD 33.46 per hour.

Entry-level boiler inspector jobs have a starting salary of CAD 60,590 per year or CAD 31.07 per hour.

In contrast:

The most experienced boiler inspectors make up to CAD 71,030 per year or CAD 36.43 per hour.

Best Way to Find a Job as a Boiler Inspector in Canada

The best way to find a boiler inspector job in Canada is to acquire a high school diploma or GED. You can also obtain a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree in engineering to multiply your prospects of securing a job.

Accumulating entry-level work experience in construction or installation or as a boiler maker can also give you an edge.

In addition, completing boiler inspector training by enrolling in a technical institution is also a terrific way to gain a leg up over other candidates when applying for this role. 

Attaining relevant certificates can also help you demonstrate your expertise and competencies to the recruiters, thereby boosting your prospects of landing a boiler inspector job

Ultimately, building connections with other industry professionals is also an effective way to find a job as a boiler inspector. For this, you can join professional organizations and interact at meetings or conferences.

You can browse our find work page if you’re actively looking for boiler inspector jobs in Canada. We are a top employment agency in Canada, offering various opportunities across several industries.

Conclusion

The article covers an overview of a boiler inspector’s job description. In addition, we discussed the job duties, educational requirements, competencies, annual average income, and even the best way to find boiler inspector jobs in Canada.

We hope this article provides sufficient information and solid insight into how to become a boiler inspector.

If you want to read more informative articles like this, we recommend you go through our blog section. We have many resources available to assist you in making an informed career decision.

Usama ChaudryUsama is a professional engineer and graduated from the University of Alberta. Computations of electrical and thermal characteristics are among his research interests. Usama's hobbies outside of professional work include reading, playing tennis, and trekking.

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