Welcome to your
New Brunswick Building Trades
Construction Trades Hub

Crane operators work on cranes or draglines to lift, move, position or place machinery, equipment and other large objects. They can work at construction or industrial sites, ports, railway yards, surface mines or other similar locations. There are three main types of cranes (boom trucks, mobile cranes and tower cranes) and various other types one can specialize in.

Responsibilities

• Operate cranes to lift, move, position or place equipment and materials
• Inspect cranes and calculate capacities and weight

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration mechanics install, troubleshoot and repair entire heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems such as residential central air conditioning and commercial and industrial refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

Responsibilities

• Measure and install refrigeration and air conditioning components
• Replace components for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems

Heat and frost insulators work with more than just heating and cooling, they also help reduce the passage of sound, air, smoke and fire. They are essential to every large institutional, commercial and industrial construction project in the country, as well as residential construction.

Responsibilities

• Apply and secure insulation using spraying, blowing, pasting, strapping, taping and other application and installation methods
• Read and interpret specifications to select the type of insulation required

Ironworkers assemble, hoist, repair and service steel framework and other metals and materials used in buildings, bridges, highways, dams and other structures. They can manufacture refabricated construction components and buildings, and custom-fabricate fine wrought-iron architectural ornamentation.

Responsibilities

• Position and secure steel bars or metal mesh in concrete forms to reinforce concrete structures
• Erect and install scaffolding, falsework and other working platforms

Labourers use diverse skills in a variety of construction activities, including preparing construction sites, moving equipment and materials, installing water and sewer lines, operating hand tools, often working with concrete, and cleaning up finished sites. They are essential in assisting many other trades on site.

Responsibilities

• Perform various duties involving lifting, carrying tool use and machinery management
• Install and remove scaffolding, ramps and barricades at construction site

Painters apply a range of coatings to beautify, identify and protect interior and exterior surfaces and structures from weather, UV, chemicals, abrasion and fire. From office towers and retail stores to bridges and pipelines, a Red Seal painter does it all.

Responsibilities

• Repair, clean and prepare wood, plaster, stucco, stone, concrete, brick, steel and other materials.
• Apply paint and other materials using brushes, rollers or spray equipment

Plumbers install, remodel and maintain systems that carry water, steam, air and other liquids or gases necessary for sanitation, industrial production, heating, air conditioning and many other systems. Because they work in all kinds of industries, there are nearly endless work opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Read blueprints and drawings for plumbing system layouts, water supply networks and waste and drainage systems
• Determine piping system requirements and pipe sizing

Sheet metal workers design, create, assemble, install and repair sheet metal products, including heating, venting and air conditioning systems, pollution control systems and other metal structures. They work indoors and outdoors, on construction sites and in shops.

Responsibilities

• Build and install products such as eavestroughs, air and heat ducts, roof decking and sheet metal buildings
• Lay out, measure and mark sheet metal

Sprinklerfitters build, install, inspect, maintain and repair sprinkler systems on industrial, commercial and residential sites. They can be self-employed or work with construction firms, plumbing contractors, heating and air conditioning companies, building developers or sprinkler system contractors.

Responsibilities

• Build and install products such as eavestroughs, air and heat ducts, roof decking and sheet metal buildings
• Lay out, measure and mark sheet metal

Steamfitters/pipefitters build, assemble, maintain and repair piping systems that carry water, steam, chemicals or fuel in heating, cooling, lubricating and other process piping systems. Because of this, much of their work is industrial. They work indoors or outdoors, and the job can be physically demanding.

Responsibilities

• Install supports, valves, piping and control systems
• Measure, cut, thread, bend and install metal, plastic and fiberglass pipes, valves and fittings