This standard identifies the competences you need to assist an advanced welder to prepare and operate an aluminothermic welding process, in accordance with instructions and/or approved procedures. In this context, `steel rail' means materials and sections as used in the UK permanent way rail infrastructure.

You will be required to check that all the welding and ancillary equipment, such as saws, grinders and shearing tools, are available and in a usable condition. You will be expected to check that gases are available and that gas equipment, burners and hoses, are of the correct type, securely connected and free from leaks and damage. You will also need to ensure that appropriate crucibles, moulds and portions are available and in good condition. In preparing the weld you will need to identify the rail grade and profile, and to take account of any wear on the railhead. You must operate and handle the equipment safely and correctly and make any adjustments to equipment or settings, in line with your permitted authority, in order to produce and finish the welds to the required specification.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the welding activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the welding equipment, or the welding activities that you cannot resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work in accordance with instructions from a Level 3 aluminothermic welder, taking personal responsibility for your own actions.

Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work, and will provide an understanding of how the aluminothermic welding process works. You will know about the equipment, materials and consumables, in adequate depth to provide a sound background for the welding operations to be performed, and for ensuring the work output is produced to the required specification.

You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the welding equipment and associated tools and equipment. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.

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1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
2. follow the relevant joining procedure and job instructions
3. assist with checking that the joint preparation complies with the specification
4. assist with checking that joining and related equipment and consumables are as specified and fit for purpose
5. assist with making the joints as specified using the appropriate thermal joining technique
6. assist with producing joints of the required quality and of specified dimensional accuracy
7. assist with shutting down the equipment to a safe condition on completion of joining activities
8. deal promptly with excess and waste materials and temporary attachments, in line with approved and agreed procedures
9. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved

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1. the safe working practices and procedures to be observed when working with aluminothermic welding equipment (general site safety, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), fire prevention, protecting other workers, accident procedure; client requirements statutory requirements, risk assessment procedures and relevant requirements of HASAWA, COSHH and Work Equipment Regulations; safe disposal of waste materials)
2. the hazards associated with aluminothermic welding (poor gas supply, leaks, hot metal, explosive gas mixtures, naked flames and exothermic reactions), and how they can be minimised
3. equipment and consumables for aluminothermic welding
4. the aluminothermic welding process and the use of process manuals
5. the types of rail grades and profiles, and welded joints to be produced
6. setting up the joint (such as cutting, alignment, moulds, luting)
7. setting up the welding equipment and checks that need to be made to ensure that it is safe and ready to use (gas supply, correct joint set-up, cleanliness of materials used)
8. the techniques of operating the welding equipment, to produce a range of joints in accordance with the appropriate process manual
9. the importance of complying with job instructions and the welding process specification
10. how to use and extract information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate British, European or relevant International standards in relation to work undertaken)
11. problems that can occur with the welding activities, and how these can be overcome; effects of welding on rail materials and sources of weld defects; methods of prevention
12. the organisational quality systems used and weld standards to be achieved; weld inspection and test procedures used (including visual and non-destructive tests)
13. personal approval tests and their applicability to your work
14. the extent of your own authority and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
15. reporting lines and procedures, line supervision and technical experts

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1. Assist in the preparation of rails for welding, in accordance with applicable specifications, to include all of the following:

   1. confirming welding equipment, consumables and ancillary equipment is available and fit for purpose
   2. identifying and measuring rail wear and condition
   3. cutting the rail using the oxy-fuel process, a band saw or an abrasive disc
   4. datum marking and aligning the rail
   5. preheating the crucible and the joint area
   6. joining the rails using safe and approved welding methods and procedures
   7. reinstating the track to the required standard on completion of the welding activities
   8. disposing of waste and surplus materials in accordance with approved procedures

2. Assist in the setting up, checking, adjustment and use of aluminothermic welding equipment for one of the following process variants, in accordance with the appropriate process manual:

   1. thermit
   2. railtech

3. Assist in the use of moulds and consumables appropriate to the material and application, to include all of the following:

   1. two different rail profiles (unworn)
   2. two different rail materials
   3. join new rail to worn rail
   4. join worn rail to worn rail

4. Assist in the welding of joints according to approved welding procedures in both of the following:

   1. normal gap
   2. wide gap

5. Assist in the production of welds which:

   1. achieve a minimum weld quality required by the application standard or specification
   2. meet the required dimensional accuracy within specified tolerance
   3. have been finished to the required specification in terms of removal of risers and excess metal
   4. are ground to the required standard

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​Additional Information

You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:

• strong work ethic
• positive attitude
• team player
• dependability
• responsibility
• honesty
• integrity
• motivation
• commitment

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3

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2020

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Current

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Original

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Semta

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SEMFWE214

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Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Metal Forming, Welding and Related Trades

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5213

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engineering; welding; Fabrication; aluminothermic; rails; thermit welding; railtech; equipment; rail preparation

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