How to become a Maintenance Worker

A maintenance worker is sometimes known as a repair worker, building maintenance worker, or maintenance technician. A maintenance worker’s job is to maintain, fix, and take care of machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. The maintainence worker’s job objectives are plumbing, electrical repairing, painting, flooring, etc.

Their work is crucial for a workplace. It significantly improves the atmosphere of an organization and also impacts the image of an organization.

What does a Maintenance Worker do?

Business owners and managers hire building maintenance workers to take care of their property and to ensure that the property remains in good shape. They also provide necessary assistance to other staff members or visitors.

These workers are usually hired by hospitals, universities, offices, hotels, guest houses, flats, apartments, etc. 

Building maintenance workers are usually full-time workers, also have to work on weekends, and sometimes in the evenings if any emergency occurs. The day-to-day work can vary every day depending on the situation. Workers may have to work indoors and outdoors. The maintainence worker’s job requires them to have good physical strength because they may have to lift heavy-weighted objects, climb ladders, and climb stairs multiple times a day, depending on the size of the building.

Maintenance Worker job duties include

• Perform repairing works and also maintain inventory for repair supply
• Cleaning the repairing tools and supplies also keeps them well organized.
• Booking appointments of workers, mechanics, electricians, plumbers, etc., if needed.
• Keeping and maintaining records for any work that has been done.
• Setting and installing new items of furniture and pieces of equipment.
• Checking and verifying if all the security and safety systems are working properly. For example, checking if smoke detectors are working or not, if fire extinguisher needs a refill, etc.
• Perform routine maintenance work on certain equipment if needed.
• Performing routine safety checks on equipment and machinery.
• Conducting pest control in the building and other areas of the building.
• Doing electrical maintenance work. For example, if a circuit breaker trips or any fuse gets damaged, they may have to fix it or call an electrician if needed, and also they have to replace any broken light bulbs.
• Performing general maintenance in the building such as carpentry works, window cleaning, painting, etc
• Performing security system checks in the building, like checking if all the locks are working, if lights are working, if doors and gates are locked, etc.

Average Salaries for Maintenance Workers

Requirements to become a maintenance worker.

The requirements mentioned here may vary from employer to employer, but these are the common qualifications needed.

Maintenance worker job skills – 

1. Good communication skills are very much required to understand the problem and communicate with the other staff members and fix it.
2. Good physical strength and stamina will be helpful since the worker will have to lift heavy objects, climb tall ladders, etc. They also may have to work in areas with high temperatures and humidity.
3. The ability to read technical instruction manuals of equipment and machinery
4. Time management skills can improve the efficiency of the maintenance worker since this job has daily tasks and longer-term projects. So to perform these tasks efficiently, they will have to prioritize the important task.
5. Problem finding skills – A good maintenance worker needs to have a problem diagnostic skill, which will help them find if anything needs repairing work or maintenance work, or a replacement job.
6. Problem-solving skills – Maintenance workers also need to have a problem-solving mind and ability, and also they need to solve it quickly so that the tenants or the staff of the building doesn’t face difficulty doing their jobs.
7. Technical and mechanical skills – A maintenance worker has to be familiar with technical and mechanical tools and must have basic technical and mechanical knowledge like plumbing, painting, carpentry, operating power tools, electrical workings, etc.
8. Needs eye for detail
9. Professional attitude and working habits
10. Ability to maintain their focus while doing any job
11. Ability to use basic tools such as hammer, screw diver, hacksaw, drill machine, wrenches, ratchets, etc.
12. Ability to use measurement instruments and tools, like any electronic measuring device

• Maintenance worker job education – To become a maintenance worker, generally, you will need a high school diploma. Also, people in this job attend technical colleges and courses, vocational courses. Technical schools and colleges teach the students some basic repair and maintenance skills. Some of these courses also teach them woodworking, lathe operation, heavy machinery operation, plumbing, wood carving, metal works, etc.
• Maintenance worker job experience, knowledge, and training  – Even tough maintenance workers can learn and attend these courses and training, but most of the training they will receive while working on the job site. Also, while working, they can be under the supervision of other experienced maintenance workers or repair workers. 

These job site experience and knowledge which they gain help them to improve their efficiency, help them to learn the maintenance or repair work culture, and also make the learning more practical in life.

• Maintenance worker job certificates – In this field, rarely you will need any certificates to get hired as a building maintenance worker, but obtaining a certificate can boost your career.

1. Vocational course Certificate
2. NSDC Certificate
3. General Industry Certification
4. Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians
5. NIOS Certificate

Jobs for maintenance workers

• Building superintendent
• Property caretaker
• Welder
• Machine operator
• Mechanic
• Electronic Technician

Employment in this sector depends on the demand for houses and properties. Demographic changes also affect the employment and demand for workers. Many businesses are dependent on repair workers, mechanics, electricians, etc., which can drive employment.

Many old homes and buildings also need maintenance works and repair works. Therefore, it can ramp up the demand for the workers. Also, the millennial generation is entering into their working-age, so they have started to buy houses and property. It can increase the employment possibility for maintenance workers, and also,l the construction of these new houses can increase the demand for plumbers, electricians, woodworkers, carpenters, flooring workers, painters, etc.  

In the maintenance work, the workers have the risk of getting injured. Maintenance and repair works are dangerous. The workers can get electrical shocks,  get bad cuts, fall from heights, get burnt, bruises, etc. Also, as mentioned earlier, the worker may have to lift heavy weighted objects, which can cause injuries too.

Workers in this field have hectic schedules. Maintainence worker job responsibilities are demanding. Therefore, they have to work full time, on the weekends and evenings, depending on the requirement. This busy work life can cause some people to fall sick physically or cause stress.

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How to become a maintenance worker

Getting a maintenance worker job is not difficult as long as you have the interest to pursue this career. This career demand awareness, knowledge, and training. You have to learn basic mechanical and technical skills such as plumbing, electrical works, painting, flooring repair work, etc. You also have to be familiar with basic tools such as hammers, drills, sanders, grinders, screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, ratchets, etc.To further enhance or improve your career, you may join courses and classes. You can join technical training schools and colleges, vocational schools and colleges, or any institute that can teach you these technical skills. It can increase your prospects of getting a maintenance worker job.