Engineering fitter

Key information

  1. Reference: OCC0432
  2. Date updated: 15/10/2024
  3. Level: 3
  4. Route: Engineering and manufacturing
  5. Regulated occupation: No

Details of the occupational standard

Information Symbol

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Occupation summary

This occupation is found in manufacturing and process sectors.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to produce complex high value, low volume components or assemblies in full or part, using machines, equipment or systems, to the required specification. For example, turbines, cranes, gearboxes, production lines, rigs and platforms. Fitters may typically have a mechanical, electrical, electronic, control systems, pipe fitting or instrumentation bias. To produce or re-furbish the components fitters will interpret drawings or specifications and plan their work, for example ensuring they have the right tools, equipment and resources to complete the task to the required specification. Fitters are required to check their work against quality standards and make adjustments as required based on their knowledge. On completion of the task a fitter will hand over the product and prepare the work area for the next task by checking equipment meets the standards required to operate. They may be based in a workshop or clients premises - this may include hazardous environments.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation typically interacts with line managers or supervisors; depending on the size of the employer and nature of the work they may work as part of a team of fitters or independently. They may interact with personnel in other functions for example, installation and maintenance engineers, health and safety and quality assurance personnel, as well as internal or external customers.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for completion of their work to the required specification and deadlines, in line with quality, health and safety and environmental regulations and requirements, with minimum supervision.  

Typical job titles include:

Controls and systems fitter Electrical fitter Electronic fitter Instrumentation fitter Mechanical fitter Pipe fitter

Occupation duties

Duty KSBs
Duty 1 Interpreting and following drawings or diagrams or specifications for required component or assembly.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S7 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 2 Planning work activity, including resources, equipment and tooling.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 3 Producing individual components, for example keys, pipework, threading, wiring looms, interfacing parts, motors, wiring cables.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 4 Re-furbishing components.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 5 Assembling components to produce equipment, machine or system - in full or part.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 6 Quality checking and adjusting components or assembly against required specification; for example testing and calibrating.
K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 7 Identifying and resolving problems with components or assembly; fault diagnosis.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5
Duty 8 Handing over completed components or assembly, this may include storage and commissioning.
K8 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 9 Re-instating work area and equipment.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18
S5 S12 S13 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3
Duty 10 Contributing to continuous improvement in component production or assembly.
K1 K2 K4 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K16 K17 K18
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5
×

Required knowledge

    Required skill

      Required behaviour

        KSBs

        Knowledge

        K1: Materials used in components or assemblies, for example; mild steel, aluminium, composites, copper. Their use and application considerations, for example machinability, hardness, conductivity, cost, availability, compatibility. Back to Duty

        K2: Principles of design and operation, for example; design for cost, minimising waste, productivity (speed), health and safety, reverse engineering. Back to Duty

        K3: Manufacturing and assembly processes for example; filing, sawing, scraping, drilling, soldering, bolting, wire cutting, threading. Back to Duty

        K4: Safe use of tools and equipment (hand and power tools); right tool for the job, requirements for machinery checks, adjustments, operation and shut down. Back to Duty

        K5: Component or assembly specifications, for example; electrical loading, load charts, torque settings, tolerances. What they are and how to use them. Back to Duty

        K6: Techniques for measuring, marking, cutting and drilling materials to the required size and shape, accurately, safely and economically during manufacturing processes. Back to Duty

        K7: Engineering mathematical and scientific principles; methods, techniques, graphical expressions, symbols, formulae and calculations. Back to Duty

        K8: Engineering data, for example; electrical readings, vibration, speed and calibration. What they are and how to interpret and use. Back to Duty

        K9: Component or assembly documentation. For example, bill of materials, standard operating procedures, inspection records, assembly instructions, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic circuit diagrams. What they are and how to interpret and use. Back to Duty

        K10: Quality standards for components or assembly for example, drawing, calibration of equipment, materials specification. How to ensure they have been met and assured. Application of ISO9001 (Quality Management Standard) in the workplace. Back to Duty

        K11: Health and safety, including Health and Safety at Work Act, personal protective equipment (PPE), manual handling, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Noise at Work Regulations, Electricity at Work regulations, risk assessments; how they must be applied in the workplace. Back to Duty

        K12: Environmental considerations; safe disposal of waste, minimizing waste, re-use and re-cycle, energy efficiency. Back to Duty

        K13: Who they need to communicate with and when, and communication techniques - verbal and written. Back to Duty

        K14: Planning techniques – resources, tools, equipment, people; time management. Back to Duty

        K15: Component or assembly quality checks for example; checking tolerances, threads, voltages. Types of faults that occur and problem solving techniques, for example; cause and effect, 5 Whys, flow process analysis. Back to Duty

        K16: Improvement techniques, for example; 5S techniques, problem solving techniques, value stream mapping, kaizen, contributing to effective team working, Total Productive Maintenance. Back to Duty

        K17: Fitters’ role in wider operation. Limits of autonomy; reporting channels. Other functions that fitters could interact with for example health & safety, quality assurance, business improvement and excellence, their purpose and interdependencies. Internal and external customers. Back to Duty

        K18: Commercial considerations including contractual arrangements, for example, penalty clauses, targets. How the role contributes to commercial operations. Back to Duty

        Skills

        S1: Reading, interpreting and understanding the component or assembly specification, diagrams, drawings and work instructions. Back to Duty

        S2: Planning component or assembly task – materials, tools and equipment. Back to Duty

        S3: Preparing work area for component or assembly task; sourcing required resources, tools and equipment. Back to Duty

        S4: Carry out relevant planning and preparation activities before commencing work activity and know how to source required resources and interpret detailed drawings, specifications and job instructions. Back to Duty

        S5: Checking tools during and after task completion; identifying and reporting defects. Back to Duty

        S6: Measuring and testing, checking or inspecting component or assembly for example; use of micrometers, verniers, multimeters, voltmeter. Back to Duty

        S7: Problem solving; analysing the issue and fixing the issue where appropriate. Back to Duty

        S8: Applying improvement techniques; recommending or implementing solutions where appropriate. Back to Duty

        S9: Communicating with colleagues or customers (internal or external). Back to Duty

        S10: Completing component or assembly documentation for example job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation. Back to Duty

        S11: Reporting work outcomes or issues. Back to Duty

        S12: Restoring the work area on completion of the activity; returning any resources and consumables to the appropriate location and house-keeping. Back to Duty

        S13: Disposing of waste in accordance with waste streams; re-cycling, re-using where appropriate. Back to Duty

        S14: Operating within limits of responsibility. Back to Duty

        S15: Operating in line with quality, health and safety and environmental policy and procedures; identifying risks and hazards and identifying control measures where applicable. Back to Duty

        Behaviours

        B1: Takes personal responsibility and be resilient. For example health and safety-first attitude, disciplined and responsible approach to risk, works diligently regardless of how much they are being supervised, accepts responsibility for managing their own time and workload and stays motivated and committed when facing challenges. Back to Duty

        B2: Works effectively in teams. For example integrates with the team, supports other people, considers implications of their own actions on other people and the business whilst working effectively to get the task completed. Back to Duty

        B3: Effective communicator and personable. For example, open and honest communicator; communicates clearly using appropriate methods, listens well to others and have a positive, respectful attitude, adjusts approach to take account of equality and diversity considerations. Back to Duty

        B4: Focuses on quality and problem solving. For example, follows instructions and guidance, demonstrates attention to detail, follows a logical approach to problem solving and seeks opportunities to improve quality, speed and efficiency. Back to Duty

        B5: Committed to continuous personal development. For example, reflects on skills, knowledge and behaviours and seeks opportunities to develop, adapts to different situations, environments or technologies and has a positive attitude to feedback and advice. Back to Duty

        T Level in engineering, manufacturing, processing and control​

        Awarding organisation: City & Guilds

        Qualification type: T Level Qualification level: 3 Qualification approved: 04/11/2021

        EAL level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Electrical Engineering Principles (Diploma)

        Awarding organisation: Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited

        Qualification type: TQ Qualification level: 3 Qualification approved: 07/03/2024

        EAL level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Mechanical Engineering Principles (Diploma)

        Awarding organisation: Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited

        Qualification type: TQ Qualification level: 3 Qualification approved: 07/03/2024
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