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Thermal insulation engineer

Thermal insulation engineers install insulating materials around pipes, boilers and ductwork in factories and buildings.

Potential salary
£20,000 to £40,000
Working hours
42 to 44 a week
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • knowledge of building and construction
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • knowledge of maths
  • persistence and determination
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Your day-to-day duties may include:

  • planning where to put insulation
  • deciding on the best materials to use for a particular job
  • preparing and cleaning areas to be insulated
  • measuring and cutting insulation materials to size
  • fastening insulation using clips, sprays, adhesives or wire bands
  • sealing work areas after fitting insulation
  • removing old insulation, like asbestos, in line with health and safety regulations

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work on a construction site, in a factory or at a manufacturing plant.

Your working environment may be cramped, dusty and physically demanding.

You could take further training while you work to move into a technical, supervisory or managerial role, like foreperson, site safety officer or building services technician.

You could also find work in a related industry, like heating and ventilation engineering or air-conditioning and refrigeration.

You can find out more about careers in thermal insulation from the Building and Engineering Services Association and ECITB Careers.

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