Electricians work in a wide variety of buildings and facilities - on everything from lighting and climate control systems, to communication equipment and thousands of other specific tools and devices. An Electrician is designated as a Construction Electrician under the Inter-provincial Red Seal program. (Find out about Red Seal in the Trades Lingo section.)



What do these workers do?
(Source: BC Work Futures)

Read blueprints and visualize in three dimensions. Electricians usually begin wiring after the structure has been erected but is not yet finished. They may find that the building doesn't exactly match what is on the blueprints and some problem solving may be necessary to find the correct route for wiring.

Solve problems in creative ways. Electricians must sometimes use creative means to get power from one part of a building to another.

Install conduit and run wire through the conduit. Electricians install metal conduit and use fishing lines to pull wires through them.

Install power points and electrical panels. These must be tested with voltmeters and oscilloscopes to ensure safety and compatibility with other wiring in the building.

Install and hang lighting. Modern lighting systems use transformers and high intensity bulbs that hang from a ceiling support structure. Electricians install these.

Replace wiring in older buildings. Some electricians specialize in this work which can be quite difficult and fiddly. It involves replacing old paper or asbestos insulated wiring while disturbing the walls as little as possible. To finish the job, the renovation electrician must be good at plastering and drywalling.

Systems electricians do the following (a system electrician is different from a power system electrician who works in power generation facilities that involve incredibly high voltages):

Install and troubleshoot security alarms. Security alarm installation involves running wiring throughout existing buildings in the least disruptive way possible. Electricians who specialize in this work usually carry an insurance bond that ensures they don't steal the jewels they are hired to electronically guard!

Install heating and cooling controls. Modern heating and cooling systems use electrical control circuits that must be wired in and tested like all other electrical circuits.

Install and test telecommunications equipment. Deregulation of the telephone industry has allowed electricians to begin installing phone wires. Fibre optic communication networks in B.C. are usually installed by electricians.

Install and troubleshoot traffic and other signals. Electricians work for traffic maintenance companies and railways where they install and repair signal lights and control circuits. This highly specialized job involves intensive training in electronics and microelectronic circuits.

Read the full Construction Electrician Profile (52kb pdf).

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