| Boilermakers | Installs and repairs boilers, maintains the blast furnaces and BOS vessels as well as other large containers that hold liquids and gases. |
| Bolter-down (Breaker-down)* | Person stationed at the entry side of the rolling mill. Make the first pass in the rolling sequence. Second in charge after the Roller. |
| Bricklayers & Masons | Builds and repairs brickwork, particularly specialising in the upkeep of firebrick linings in industrial furnaces and ladles. |
| Blacksmith | A person who makes and repairs iron tools and equipment by hand. |
| Coker | A worker at a coke hearth. |
| Charge Driver* | The person who operates the overhead crane (overhead charger) that carries the materials to charge the furnace. |
| Chemist | A scientist who studies the chemical analysis and reactions of the metal samples. |
| Craneman | Person who operates a crane. Cranes were in operation at different areas – ladles at blast furnace, coking ovens, train depot, etc. |
| Crusher | Creates road stone from waste slag. |
| Electricians | Installs repairs and constructs electrical systems, apparatus and components for industrial machinery as well as general power supply wiring and maintenance. |
| Engine Driver | Person who drives the railway locomotives. |
| First-hand Melter* | The man in charge of the team at a furnace. He is assisted by the second and third hand melters. |
| Furnace Keeper* | The man in charge of tapping and stopping a blast furnace. Duties varied from place to place. |
| Instrument Mechanic | A specialist mechanic responsible for maintenance of instruments, gauges, etc. |
| Machinists | Modifies and manufactures replacement parts for machine tools, plant or equipment that have become worn or damaged while in service. |
| Maintenance Fitters | Responsible for maintenance and repair of equipment such as Continuous Casting machinery, overhead cranes, pumps and compressors. Also responsible for identifying faults in hydraulic and pneumatic systems. |
| Metallurgist | A person who studies or is knowledgeable about metals. |
| Moulder* | The craftsman who prepares moulds in a foundry. |
| Plumber | Fitted, maintained and repaired pipes, pneumatics, etc. |
| Rigger | The person who operates the machinery that moves heavy objects such as steel plate. |
| Roller (Roll-hand)* | The leader of a team of men at the rolling mill. |
| Sample Passer* | Person responsible for deciding when the melt is to specification and ready to be tapped. This is done on the basis of taking a sample of the hot metal. |
| Slagger (Teaser)* | Person who taps the slag at the Blast Furnace. |
| Shearer (Cutter)* | The person in charge of a mechanical shear. |
| Shift Engineer | Person in charge of fillers, plumbers and other ancillary workers. |
| Stove Minder (Hot-blast man)* | In charge of the hot-blast stoves at the blast furnace; responsible for keeping the blast at the required temperature. |
| Stricker* | The Blacksmith’s assistant. |
| Teemer* | The person responsible for ingot teeming (casts metal from ladles to ingot moulds). |
| Tilter* | Tilt hammer operator. |
| Welders | Carries out welding, brazing, and cutting on metals. |
*Based on (or taken directly) from the definitions found in The Iron & Steel Industry: A Dictionary of Terms by W.K.V. Gale published 1971.
Comments & Quotes
“Most people had assumed Ravenscraig would always be there; offering secure employment for generations. It wasn’t just the steel manufacturing; there were lots of ancillary jobs. They had locomotive workshops full of fitters, engine drivers, waste disposal people, asbestos removal teams, crushers creating road stone from the waste slag, their own power station (still in evidence), pumping stations and lock gates, etc..
My uncle worked on The Crusher whose purpose was to crush the slag waste from the furnaces into hardcore sized chunks which I assume was used for road-building, etc. A friend of mine worked full time on asbestos removal: I assume that this job only arose when the dangers of asbestos in the workplace became known. I also think that they had somebody manning the sluice gates night and day down by the outflow on the River Calder, near Calder Park.”
John T, ‘Mac of the Isles’ – The Hidden Glasgow Forums
“I was a Receiver and Dispatcher. I would dispatch the lorries and trains carrying the steel to America and Germany as well as all over the UK. I booked lorries coming in and out with slabs.
I also worked 4 years with the Railway, when I first started. I worked in total 29 years with the Craig. It was my home from home. I must have walked around that plant a million times. I enjoyed my job. It was great, I loved it.
It broke my heart to leave it – When it closed!
Peter Dougan, The Craig, the Industry and You project
“My Dad, Bill Campbell worked in the water treatment plant from 1958 until 1984.
He hated the nightshift.”
William Campbell, The Craig The Industry and You project