Responsibilities of the boiler room operator during boiler operation


Who is a boiler operator?

In fact, the representative of the profession in question is a very important person. Thanks to this specialist, high-quality and safe operation of boilers, pipelines, heating elements and other components of boiler stations is ensured. Heat in houses is also provided by the boiler operator.

The responsibilities of a representative of the profession in question are very extensive, and his work is very important and useful to society. However, will every person be able to work in the field in question? Of course not. In order to get a job in a boiler station, you need to have certain qualities and character traits. These, for example, include: endurance, strong physical condition, sustained attention, hard work, stress resistance and much more.

What is a gas boiler room

This is a separate room or an entire building where one (or more) heating boiler is installed, which heats the coolant in pipes and radiators. The heat source is a flame from natural or liquefied gas. It is clear that large heated buildings require a separate worker. The need for its constant presence is due to the fact that this structure is an object of increased danger due to the use of gas.

Its functions include:

  1. Control over the operation of gas units.
  2. Determining the state of supply lines.
  3. Constantly monitoring the pressure in the heating system.
  4. Ensuring fire safety measures.

It is clear that in small private houses a gas boiler operator is not needed. Periodic monitoring is carried out by the homeowner himself using various protective devices and safety elements that can transmit information about an accident even remotely.

And in large boiler houses similar protective systems may be available. However, the presence of a trained worker who can prevent an emergency in time and ensure a continuous heating process is mandatory.

Boiler operator rights

What rights does the boiler room operator have? The job description prescribes the following points for this specialist:

  • Has the right to demand from management all the necessary tools and parts, as well as special clothing, safety shoes and other protective equipment.
  • Able to propose ideas and plans to superiors regarding the improvement of working conditions and working conditions.
  • An employee has the right not to listen to management instructions, but only if they contradict safety precautions, human life and health.
  • An employee has the right to work in optimal and fairly comfortable conditions, without violations by superiors or other persons representing the organization.


This is not the entire range of rights that a boiler room operator may have; the job description of this specialist also prescribes some other points. However, all the main points have been mentioned above.

Responsibility of the boiler room operator

A representative of the profession in question, as well as many other workers, is entrusted with great responsibility.

In particular, the specialist’s job description states that the employee is responsible for:

  • for complete failure or improper performance of their work functions;
  • for causing material damage to the organization;
  • for a crime or offense committed by a worker at the workplace;
  • for violation of safety regulations or internal regulations;
  • for disclosing industrial secrets.

What is all the responsibility that a boiler room operator has? The duties and functions of the specialist in question are too extensive and complex, and therefore the responsibility becomes corresponding.

What rights does an employee have?

Let's look at what is included in the operator's rights according to the instructions. Please note that this is general information that you have the right to correct, but if you change, be sure to consult with an experienced lawyer. If you violate the legal rights of an employee, he may sue you in court or to the labor inspectorate, which could result in certain fines and other unpleasant sanctions. So, an employee can:

  1. Demand from your immediate superiors to fully provide the workplace with the necessary things. This includes work clothes, tools, fire shields and alarms, the presence of special equipment (for example, gas sensors), etc.
  2. If the boss grossly violates the rules of conduct or operation of the facility, the employee has the right to stop performing his job duties and leave the boiler room. Also, the employee is not obliged to follow management orders that violate regulations and may lead to emergency or dangerous situations.
  3. Suggest to the manager various improvements in the operation of the boiler room and optimization of the work process.

Next, let's look at the operator's responsibilities. He may be held accountable if he refuses to comply with the points contained in the job description he signed when applying for a job. He is also responsible for untimely completion of duties, for disclosure of classified information or trade secrets, for violation of fire safety and daily routine, for obvious violation of instructions and orders of immediate management. He must strictly comply with all acts and regulations, without deviating a single step from them, since any mistake can cost people’s lives and lead to millions in losses.


Responsibilities include maintaining accounting records

Responsibilities of the boiler room operator

What functions does a boiler room operator have? The responsibilities of this specialist are incredibly extensive and are also related to the level of qualifications and rank. That is why only the most basic and generalized functions will be named below:

  • The employee is obliged to take any measures to ensure uninterrupted steam production in the required quantities and in accordance with established standards.
  • The boiler room operator is required to keep a so-called “shift log.” Competently filling it out, formatting it, presenting it to superiors - all this is also included in the range of responsibilities of the specialist in question.
  • The boiler station operator is obliged to monitor the gas level and its consumption; at the same time, all identified comments must also be recorded.
  • One of the functions of the specialist in question is a preventive inspection of the boiler station, and more specifically, all existing mechanisms and equipment (this includes pumps, measuring instruments, various units, etc.)

Thus, the boiler room operator has quite extensive functions. Responsibilities under the UTKS (Unified Tariff Book), however, may differ slightly from those present directly at production. Everything will also depend on the place of work, on the region, and in the end, even on the boss. The level of qualification also plays a role (for example, the responsibilities of a solid fuel boiler operator will differ from the functions performed by an ordinary specialist).

Responsibilities of a 3rd category employee

A boiler room operator of the third category is engaged in servicing water-heating boilers whose heating capacity does not exceed 42 GJ/h, and steam boilers with a productivity not exceeding 12.6 GJ/h of fuel and electric types. It also services gas distribution installations, heating network boilers and compressed steam stations.


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In addition, the employee must start, stop, adjust and monitor economizers, air heaters, feed pumps and superheaters, ensure the smooth operation of all devices in the boiler room, and also monitor other units included in the heat piping circuit. In addition, it takes into account the indicators of heat transferred to consumers of the boiler room, participates in repair work, etc.

Handover of shift by boiler room operator

It is worth talking about a special type of responsibility of the boiler station operator, namely, the duty assignment.

What must a boiler room operator do at the end of his shift? The responsibilities of this specialist in this case are as follows:

  • The specialist must carefully review all entries left in the shift log. If any shortcomings or problems are discovered, you must report them to your superiors.
  • A complete walkthrough of the station must be carried out: nothing should be leaking or operating improperly anywhere. Again, if a problem is found, you should try to fix it. If the problem is too big, you will have to report it to management and ask for help.
  • It is necessary to obtain information about the operation of critical equipment.
  • It is necessary to check the operation of the alarm.
  • The employee must be aware of all repair work ongoing at the station.

Only after all the above points have been met will it be possible to pass the shift.

Boiler room operator 4th category

It is the 4th category in the profession in question that is considered one of the most common, and therefore important. In total, there are 6 categories in the work sphere.

The job description of a 4th category boiler room operator prescribes the following functions and responsibilities for a specialist:

  • Inspection, maintenance and repair of steam and water heating boilers (thermal capacity not more than 84 GJ/h).
  • Maintenance of boilers from heating networks, as well as steam stations (more than 84 GJ/h).
  • Checking the readings of control and measuring instruments - level of pressure, temperature, water in boilers, gases, etc.
  • Adjusting the load of a particular boiler in accordance with standards and consumption schedules.
  • Identifying and eliminating various types of problems and malfunctions in the operation of existing equipment.

Thus, the responsibilities of a category 4 boiler operator are very extensive and complex.

Job Description for Gas Boiler Operator

The law does not establish a standard form of job description for a boiler room operator, however, even with such freedom in preparing a job description, employers try to proceed from the generally accepted structure of the document established by the rules of personnel records management. This is due to the fact that this form allows you to take into account all the necessary aspects of the employee’s work activity.

A job description for a gas boiler house operator drawn up in this form may contain the following sections:

  1. General provisions. This section contains basic information:
    • the education required to work in this position;
    • work experience in the specialty;

  2. professional skills.
  3. In addition, this section includes information about the documentation that the operator of a gas boiler house must be familiar with, the procedure for his hiring, dismissal and replacement, the place of this staffing unit in the general organizational chart of the enterprise and the employee’s immediate superior.

  4. Job rights and responsibilities of the employee. This section, as already mentioned, is the main one in the document, as it determines the competence of the employee. So, if we talk about responsibilities, then the employee has the right not to perform anything beyond what is established in the employment contract and job description. The rights of an employee are closely related to his responsibilities and are intended to facilitate the performance of labor functions and increase labor productivity. Among the rights it is usually stated that the employee has the right:
      become familiar with management decisions related to the duties performed;
  5. interact within their competence with other departments and services of the enterprise, etc.
  6. Responsibility. This section establishes the employee's liability for specific labor violations. At the same time, the employer does not have the right to worsen the employee’s situation in comparison with the sanctions established by labor legislation.

General safety requirements

There are a large number of safety rules for boiler room workers.

Below are just the most basic of them:

  • the doors to the boiler station must be open (but only during operation);
  • lighting the boiler is prohibited without permission from management;
  • any boiler repair work is carried out with at least three workers;
  • equipment must not be left unattended;
  • you can’t be distracted;
  • It is prohibited to dry clothes or any other things on the boiler.
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