Glazier

Last updated
Glazier
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S74736, Glaser bei der Arbeit.jpg
A glazier at work, 1946
Occupation
Occupation type
Vocational
Activity sectors
Construction
Description
CompetenciesHeights, patience, steady hand, ability to read plans, physically strong
Education required
Apprenticeship
Fields of
employment
Construction
Related jobs
Carpenter, electrician, plumber, plasterer

A glazier is a tradesperson responsible for cutting, installing, and removing glass (and materials used as substitutes for glass, such as some plastics). [1] They also refer to blueprints to figure out the size, shape, and location of the glass in the building. They may have to consider the type and size of scaffolding they need to stand on to fit and install the glass. Glaziers may work with glass in various surfaces and settings, such as cutting and installing windows, doors, shower doors, skylights, storefronts, display cases, mirrors, facades, interior walls, ceilings, and tabletops. [1] [2]

Contents

This Deutsche Bundespost postage stamp, issued in 1986, commemorates glaziers. Stamps of Germany (Berlin) 1986, MiNr 754.jpg
This Deutsche Bundespost postage stamp, issued in 1986, commemorates glaziers.

Duties and tools

A set of glazier tools Glazier tools.JPG
A set of glazier tools

The Occupational Outlook Handbook of the U.S. Department of Labor lists the following as typical tasks for a glazier: [3]

The National Occupational Analysis recognized by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship separates the trade into 5 blocks of skills, each with a list of skills, and a list of tasks and subtasks a journeyman is expected to be able to accomplish: [4]

Block A – Occupational Skills
  1. Uses and maintains tools and equipment
  2. Organizes work
  3. Performs routine activities
Block B – Commercial Window and Door Systems
  1. Fabricates commercial window and door systems
  2. Installs commercial window and door systems
Block C – Residential Window and Door Systems
  1. Installs residential window systems Installs residential door systems
Block D – Specialty Glass and Products
  1. Fabricates and installs specialty glass and products
  2. Installs glass systems on vehicles
Block E – Servicing
  1. Services commercial window and door systems
  2. Services residential window and door systems
  3. Services specialty glass and products.

Tools used by glaziers "include cutting boards, glass-cutting blades, straightedges, glazing knives, saws, drills, grinders, putty,scrapers, sandpaper, sanding blocks, 5 in 1's respirator/dust mask and glazing compounds." [1]

Some glaziers work specifically with glass in motor vehicles; other work specifically with the safety glass used in aircraft. Others repair old antique windows and doors that need glass replaced. [1] [3]

Education and training

Glaziers are typically educated at the high school diploma or equivalent level and learn the skills of the trade through an apprenticeship program, which in the U.S. is typically four years. [3]

In the U.S., apprenticeship programs are offered through the National Glass Association as well as trade associations and local contractors' associations. A large portion of glaziers in the United States are members of the IUPAT, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades which offers its own apprenticeship program which consists of 8000 hours of on the job training and 4 years of classroom education. Because of this, IUPAT Glaziers tend to be well rounded in all aspects of the trade, and therefore carry a higher production rate, face fewer health & safety risks and command a higher pay rate. [1]

In Canada, glaziers usually go through a formal apprenticeship which includes about four years of on-the-job experience combined with classroom study in order to get certified. Unions and many employers offer these apprenticeships. To become an apprentice, one must be at least 18 years old and have a graduated high school. Once a person is certified, they will be eligible to apply for the Red Seal allowing the person to work anywhere in Canada without re-certifying. [5] In Ontario, Canada, apprenticeships are offered at the provincial level and certified through the Ontario College of Trades. [6]

In Australia, while you do not need formal qualifications to work as a glazier, it is usual for apprentices to complete a Certificate III in Glass and Glazing as part of their training. Most apprentices choose to do the Certificate III in Glass and Glazing (MSF30418) part-time (three years). You can also choose to do the course full time (one year study). The Certificate II in Glass and Glazing (MSF20413) is also available for those who need additional study. [7] [8]

Occupational hazards

Occupational hazards encountered by glaziers include the risks of being cut by glass or tools and falling from scaffolds or ladders or lead exposure from old lead paint on antique windows. [1] [3] The use of heavy equipment may also cause injury: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported in 1990 that a journeyman glazier died in an industrial accident in Indiana after attempting to use a manlift to carry a thousand-pound case of glass which the manlift did not have capacity to carry. [9]

In the United States

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, there are some 45,300 glaziers in the United States, with median pay of $38,410 per year in 2014. [3] Two-thirds of Glaziers work in the foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors industry, with smaller numbers working in building material and supplies dealing, building finishing contracting, automotive repair and maintenance, and glass and glass product manufacturing. [2] [3]

Among the 50 states, only Connecticut and Florida require glaziers to hold a license. [3]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elizabeth H. Oakes, Ferguson Career Resource Guide to Apprenticeship Programs (Infobase: 3d ed., 2006), p. 356.
  2. 1 2 Glaziers (profile in the Occupational Employment Statistics of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Glaziers, Occupational Outlook Handbook , United States Department of Labor.
  4. Canada, Employment and Social Development. "Red Seal : Appendix F – Task Profile Chart". www.red-seal.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  5. Canada, Employment and Social Development. "Red Seal : Glazier". www.red-seal.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  6. "OIFSC - Student Visit - M&T Glass". 6 April 2016.
  7. Australia, Certificate III in Glass and Glazing (MSF30418). "Glass Trade Centre: Glazier" . Retrieved 2021-02-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. "Glass Replacement Services - Empire Glass Australia".
  9. Journeyman glazier dies after being catapulted from manlift - Indiana, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (April 1990, 1-7), NIOSHTIC No. 20024470.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Glaziers at Wikimedia Commons

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locksmithing</span> Science and art of making and defeating locks

Locksmithing is the science and art of making and defeating locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies from country to country from none at all, to a simple training certificate awarded by an employer, to a full diploma from an engineering college, in addition to time spent working as an apprentice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apprenticeship</span> System for training new crafts-people

Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulated occupation. Most of their training is done while working for an employer who helps the apprentices learn their trade or profession, in exchange for their continued labor for an agreed period after they have achieved measurable competencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carpentry</span> Skilled trade

Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters traditionally worked with natural wood and did rougher work such as framing, but today many other materials are also used and sometimes the finer trades of cabinetmaking and furniture building are considered carpentry. In the United States, 98.5% of carpenters are male, and it was the fourth most male-dominated occupation in the country in 1999. In 2006 in the United States, there were about 1.5 million carpentry positions. Carpenters are usually the first tradesmen on a job and the last to leave. Carpenters normally framed post-and-beam buildings until the end of the 19th century; now this old-fashioned carpentry is called timber framing. Carpenters learn this trade by being employed through an apprenticeship training—normally four years—and qualify by successfully completing that country's competence test in places such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Australia and South Africa. It is also common that the skill can be learned by gaining work experience other than a formal training program, which may be the case in many places.

A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee. They earn their license by education, supervised experience and examination. Although journeymen have completed a trade certificate and are allowed to work as employees, they may not yet work as self-employed master craftsmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electrician</span> Tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring

An electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also specialize in wiring ships, airplanes, and other mobile platforms, as well as data and cable lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tradesperson</span> Skilled specialist

A tradesperson or tradesman is a skilled worker that specialises in a particular trade. Tradespeople (tradesmen) usually gain their skills through work experience, on-the-job training, an apprenticeship programme or formal education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plumber</span> Tradesperson specializing in water and sewage systems

A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, hot-water production, sewage and drainage in plumbing systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cook (profession)</span> Occupation involving cooking food

A cook is a professional individual who prepares items for consumption in the food industry, especially in settings such as restaurants. A cook is sometimes referred to as a chef, although in the culinary world, the terms are not interchangeable. Cooks' responsibilities include preparing food, managing food stations, cleaning the kitchen, and helping the chefs. Restaurants will give a title to the cooks according to their designated stations. Examples are broiler cooks, fry cooks, pantry cooks, and sauce cooks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boilermaker</span> Tradesperson who fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers

A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates steels, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire door</span> Fire resistant door

A fire door is a door with a fire-resistance rating used as part of a passive fire protection system to reduce the spread of fire and smoke between separate compartments of a structure and to enable safe egress from a building or structure or ship. In North American building codes, it, along with fire dampers, is often referred to as a closure, which can be derated compared against the fire separation that contains it, provided that this barrier is not a firewall or an occupancy separation. In Europe national standards for fire doors have been harmonised with the introduction of the new standard EN 16034, which refers to fire doors as fire-resisting door sets. Starting September 2016, a common CE marking procedure was available abolishing trade barriers within the European Union for these types of products. In the UK, it is Part B of the Building Regulations that sets out the minimum requirements for the fire protection that must be implemented in all dwellings this includes the use of fire doors. All fire doors must be installed with the appropriate fire resistant fittings, such as the frame and door hardware, for it to fully comply with any fire regulations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto mechanic</span> Occupation

An auto mechanic is a mechanic who services and repairs automobiles, sometimes specializing in one or more automobile brands or sometimes working with any brand. In fixing cars, their main role is to diagnose and repair the problem accurately and quickly. Seasoned auto repair shops start with a (Digital) Inspection to determine the vehicle conditions, independent of the customers concern. Based on the concern, the inspection results and preventative maintenance needs, the mechanic/technician returns the findings to the service advisor who then gets approval for any or all of the proposed work. The approved work will be assigned to the mechanic on a work order. Their work may involve the repair of a specific part or the replacement of one or more parts as assemblies. Basic vehicle maintenance is a fundamental part of a mechanic's work in modern industrialized countries, while in others they are only consulted when a vehicle is already showing signs of malfunction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronics Technicians Association</span>

The Electronics Technicians Association, International, Inc. is a US-based not-for-profit 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1978. The association provides certifications in industries such as basic electronics, fiber optics and data cabling, renewable energy, information technology, photonics and precision optics, customer service, biomedical, avionics, wireless communications, radar, and smart home. ETA is also one of the 12 COLEMs for U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) testing. ETA works with technicians, educators, and military personnel. ETA also partners with companies such as Motorola Solutions to provide certification to their employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pipefitter</span> Tradesman who works with mechanical pipes

A pipefitter or steamfitter is a tradesman who installs, assembles, fabricates, maintains, and repairs mechanical piping systems. Pipefitters usually begin as helpers or apprentices. Journeyman pipefitters deal with industrial/commercial/marine piping and heating/cooling systems. Typical industrial process pipe is under high pressure, which requires metals such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and many different alloy metals fused together through precise cutting, threading, grooving, bending, and welding. A plumber concentrates on lower pressure piping systems for sewage and potable tap water in the industrial, commercial, institutional, or residential atmosphere. Utility piping typically consists of copper, PVC, CPVC, polyethylene, and galvanized pipe, which is typically glued, soldered, or threaded. Other types of piping systems include steam, ventilation, hydraulics, chemicals, fuel, and oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drafter</span> Person who makes technical drawings

A drafter is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for machinery, buildings, electronics, infrastructure, sections, etc. Drafters use computer software and manual sketches to convert the designs, plans, and layouts of engineers and architects into a set of technical drawings. Drafters operate as the supporting developers and sketch engineering designs and drawings from preliminary design concepts.

An electrical contractor is a business person or firm that performs specialized construction work related to the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical systems. An electrical contractor is different from an electrician; an electrician is an individual tradesman and an electrical contractor is a business person or company that employs electricians. Both usually hold licenses and insurances to properly and safely operate a business, protecting the employees and home owners/business owners from insurance liabilities. These requirements vary from state to state. Electricians may work for an electrical contractor, or directly for individuals or companies.

Instrument mechanics in engineering are tradesmen who specialize in installing, troubleshooting, and repairing instrumentation, automation and control systems. The term "Instrument Mechanic" came about because it was a combination of light mechanical and specialised instrumentation skills. The term is still is used in certain industries; predominantly in industrial process control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Williams (labor leader)</span> American labor leader

James A. Williams was born in 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is a prominent labor leader within the United States. After serving in the U.S. Army, Williams worked his way into politics and labor unions. He served in positions in Local Union 252 and on boards of various unions and companies. Williams became the president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), where he served from 2003-2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glazing (window)</span> Part of a wall or window, made of glass

Glazing, which derives from the Middle English for 'glass', is a part of a wall or window, made of glass. Glazing also describes the work done by a professional "glazier". Glazing is also less commonly used to describe the insertion of ophthalmic lenses into an eyeglass frame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insulated glazing</span> Construction element consisting of at least two glass plates

Insulating glass (IG) consists of two or more glass window panes separated by a space to reduce heat transfer across a part of the building envelope. A window with insulating glass is commonly known as double glazing or a double-paned window, triple glazing or a triple-paned window, or quadruple glazing or a quadruple-paned window, depending upon how many panes of glass are used in its construction.

Apprenticeship programs in the United States are regulated by the Smith–Hughes Act (1917), The National Industrial Recovery Act (1933), and National Apprenticeship Act, also known as the "Fitzgerald Act."