Boilermaker

A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates, assembles, installs, and maintains boilers and other large pressure vessels. Boilermakers work in shipyards, refineries, power plants, construction sites, and manufacturing facilities. Typical duties include reading blueprints, cutting and fitting metal components, welding or riveting joints, installing piping and safety systems, and performing maintenance, inspection, and testing of boilers and pressure vessels. The trade requires knowledge of metallurgy, thermal systems, welding, and safety practices. Apprenticeship programs commonly provide the path to qualification, combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction.

Originating in the 19th century with the rise of steam power, boilermakers were essential in building and maintaining boilers for ships, locomotives, factories, and power plants. The occupation has long been tied to skilled metalwork and heavy machinery and has been organized in trade unions in many countries. Today, boilermakers may work on power generation boilers, industrial process boilers, or specialized pressure vessels. Work practices are guided by safety requirements and codes that govern welding, fabrication, and inspection, with regional variations in standards.

Boilermaker is also the name of a drinking tradition in which a shot of whiskey is consumed with a beer. Common methods involve dropping a shot of whiskey into a pint of beer or taking the shot and then drinking the beer. The practice has regional variations and unclear origins but is widely associated with bars and social drinking in North America and parts of Europe.

As a nickname, Boilermakers refers to Purdue University’s athletic teams, named for the school’s historical ties to engineering and the local industrial heritage.