As part of the ECITB’s Look Closer: Engineering Construction campaign to raise awareness of careers in industry, Nicky Roger meets people working in the different sectors that make up the engineering construction industry, which underpins the delivery, maintenance and decommissioning of much of the UK’s critical infrastructure.
This month, we speak to Tom Knights, 24, from Norfolk, who works as a rigger for Pruce Newman, which fabricates, installs and maintains pipework and steelwork across a broad range of sectors and industrial applications.
Tell us how you got into the industry
After GCSEs, I went into the building trade as a bricklayer for about three years before switching onto highways, working on bridge repairs.
I didn’t know much about rigging until I met my partner. Her father is a pipefitter and mentioned it might be something I’d be interested in, so I made the jump in July 2024.
I spent my first year with Pruce Newman getting experience before going on to complete ECITB Level 2 and Level 3 diplomas in lifting and positioning engineering construction loads.
Describe your role and why it’s important to industry
A lot of people don’t have a clue what I do. Riggers are often overlooked, but are important to help progress projects.
Without riggers on site, there wouldn’t be anyone to help put it all together in terms of planning and then lifting a piece of pipe into place.
For example, we recently put in some 6m-long pipes that went in under or between the different pipes and supports at this plant. Sometimes we’re putting a pipe in that’s just two inches below another pipe that runs across it, so it can get very tight.
It’s a challenging role in terms of the size of the stuff we’re lifting and the accessibility or limited amount of headroom there is.
What does a typical day look like?
After getting your permits, we go to look at the job to make sure the plan you have is safe. We could then be stripping anything out or getting a pipe delivered.
You might then have to break the pipe up, cut it or unbolt it, before lifting it into place. We use loads of different things to move these big loads, like chain blocks, slings, shackles or an overhead crane. Once you’ve done it so many times, you know what you are capable of and what is achievable.
What do you love about being a rigger?
It’s challenging and no two jobs are the same, there is so much variety with the objects you are lifting and there is a real sense of achievement when an object goes in successfully.
I’ve worked in many different sectors with Pruce Newman, like helping install and maintain the equipment that makes the things we eat and drink.
I’ve really enjoyed working at British Sugar’s factory in Newark, helping put in big lengths of pipe that pump around the melted sugar beet juice. It’s strange going into shops seeing products and thinking, ‘I helped make that’.
Another of my favourite jobs was working on a massive fire pump in London on a fuel terminal. That involved a crane lifting a pipe over water and us fitting it while on a boat that was rocking around.
What skills are most important for your role?
I have tickets that prove I have the skills to operate different pieces of equipment that help in our role, including telehandlers, cherry pickers and scissor lifts.
You’ve got to be able to keep your cool and be adaptable. Being a rigger keeps you on your toes as things can change quickly. We’ll have a plan and then a pipe might be too long or doesn’t fit and you have to regroup, take it out and get it repaired, lengthened or shortened.
What’s the best advice you’ve received that you would pass on?
Keep your options open. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can always get into a different trade, like I did.
Make the most of learning from those around you. I have had so many great mentors and wouldn’t know half as much if I didn’t have good people like that around me.
I’ve learned a lot from the two other riggers at Pruce Newman who have a lot of experience and have taught me so much about different aspects of the job.
