KETTLE CRANEMAN - 2ND SHIFT

Southwest Galvanizing, Inc.•Houston, TX

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The kettle cranemen are part of a team of individuals that work at the galvanizing kettles. Kettle cranemen are responsible for moving material into and out of the galvanizing bath in a safe and efficient manner. The kettle cranemen must have a basic understanding of the properties of 840°F molten zinc when contained in heated baths. The supervisors give the galvanizing teams a tentative schedule and the teams must work with picklers and bow-up men to ensure the schedule is maintained. Kettle cranemen must receive training to become certified operators of remote controlled overhead cranes, and must operate and inspect cranes in accordance with their training. In certain instances, one kettle craneman must operate as part of a craneman team—2 kettle cranemen work individual cranes to move one load of material. Kettle cranemen are responsible for ensuring that scalemen have new material once weights have been obtained and paperwork has been completed on the prior galvanized load. Cranemen operate cranes in an environment containing potential hazards not present in other areas of the process. They must possess basic knowledge about the properties of molten zinc, and how it behaves when it comes into contact with non-molten material. Aspects of the galvanizing process that kettle cranemen must be familiar with may include but are not limited to: The quality of their crane and rigging equipment—damaged equipment and/or improperly rigged loads, can lead to accidents involving molten metal splash; The center of gravity/other physical properties of suspended loads while being submerged in molten zinc; The safe operating speed of the crane when submerging and removing the material into and out of the molten bath; The location and size of holes needed in material—molten zinc needs to enter the material through specific holes and gasses must escape the material through different holes; Chemical residues, liquids, or other impurities that may be present on material—these present the potential for hazardous reactions when the material and impurities are introduced to 840°F molten zinc; The temperature of the molten bath vs. the temperature of the material to be dipped—the extreme difference in temperatures presents the potential for hazardous reactions; The viscosity of molten zinc at varying temperatures and its ability to cool and solidify rapidly—molten metal must not be allowed to solidify before the galvanizer is ready for the material to leave the kettle; The depth and amount of the bottom dross in the kettle and how to avoid submerging material into the dross. Cranemen work on a galvanizing team and must be able to communicate effectively with each individual on the team in order to achieve a common goal. During the galvanizing process the team will encounter multiple instances in which communication is crucial. Some instances that require the kettle cranemen to communicate with other employees may include but are not limited to: All crane movement—material must only be moved in accordance with the galvanizer’s direction; When working with an assistant kettle craneman in order to move material safely and efficiently into and out of the molten bath; When working with a second craneman, each person must be able to communicate while simultaneously focusing on the movement of both cranes; When moving material into and out of the molten bath to avoid placing the material in the skims; To ensure schedules and kettle demands are maintained, communication with the pickler is necessary; When the dipping process is complete and the material must be removed from the kettle and released to the scaleman.

Requirements

Basic understanding of the properties of 840°F molten zinc.
Receive training to become certified operators of remote controlled overhead cranes.
Basic knowledge about the properties of molten zinc and how it behaves when it comes into contact with non-molten material.
Familiarity with the quality of crane and rigging equipment.
Understanding of the center of gravity/other physical properties of suspended loads while being submerged in molten zinc.
Knowledge of the safe operating speed of the crane when submerging and removing the material into and out of the molten bath.
Understanding the location and size of holes needed in material for molten zinc entry and gas escape.
Awareness of chemical residues, liquids, or other impurities that may be present on material and their potential for hazardous reactions.
Understanding the impact of the temperature difference between the molten bath and the material.
Knowledge of the viscosity of molten zinc at varying temperatures and its ability to cool and solidify rapidly.
Understanding the depth and amount of the bottom dross in the kettle and how to avoid submerging material into it.
Ability to communicate effectively with each individual on the galvanizing team.
Ability to communicate with other employees during the galvanizing process.

Responsibilities

Moving material into and out of the galvanizing bath in a safe and efficient manner.
Operating and inspecting cranes in accordance with training.
Ensuring that scalemen have new material once weights have been obtained and paperwork has been completed on the prior galvanized load.
Communicating effectively with team members, including picklers and bow-up men, to maintain the schedule.
Operating cranes in an environment containing potential hazards.
Understanding the properties of molten zinc and its behavior.
Ensuring the quality of crane and rigging equipment.
Understanding the center of gravity and physical properties of suspended loads.
Operating the crane at a safe speed when submerging and removing material.
Understanding the location and size of holes needed in material for zinc entry and gas escape.
Identifying and managing potential hazardous reactions from chemical residues, liquids, or impurities on material.
Considering the temperature difference between the molten bath and the material.
Managing the viscosity of molten zinc and its solidification rate.
Avoiding submerging material into the bottom dross of the kettle.
Communicating all crane movements according to the galvanizer's direction.
Coordinating with an assistant kettle craneman for safe and efficient material movement.
Communicating with a second craneman when operating two cranes simultaneously.
Avoiding placing material in the skims when moving it into and out of the molten bath.
Communicating with the pickler to ensure schedules and kettle demands are maintained.
Releasing material to the scaleman after the dipping process is complete.