Night Shift Pipe Groomer

Job Summary

The Pipe Groomer inspects freshly demolded precast concrete pipes for structural and cosmetic imperfections. Using specialized hand and power tools, they repair blemishes, patch voids, smooth surfaces, and prepare pipe joints (spigots and bells) to guarantee a watertight fit during field installation.

Key Responsibilities & Duties

1. Surface Finishing and Patching

• Repair defects: Patch honeycombs, air voids (bugholes), chips, and minor cracks in the concrete using specialized patching compounds, mortars, or epoxy.
• Smooth surfaces: Use grinding wheels, trowels, chisels, and wire brushes to remove concrete "flash" (excess material leaked through mold seams) and smooth rough edges.

2. Joint Conditioning & Preparation (Critical Task)

• Groom joints: Pay meticulous attention to the "tongue and groove" or "bell and spigot" ends of the concrete pipe where gaskets will eventually seat.
• Ensure seal accuracy: Grind down any imperfections in the joint area to ensure a perfectly circular, flush surface that prevents leaks once installed underground.

3. Quality Inspection

• Visual audits: Inspect every pipe for dimensional accuracy, straightness, and structural integrity immediately following demolding.
• Report defects: Identify and log major structural failures (like exposed rebar or severe cracks) to the Quality Control (QC) supervisor to reject or quarantine bad batches.

4. Post-Production Operations

• Apply coatings: Spray or paint concrete sealants, curing compounds, or protective coatings onto specified surfaces.
• Stenciling: Mark finished products with required documentation, including date of manufacture, pipe class, size, and QC approval stamps.

5. Yard & Safety Maintenance

• Tool upkeep: Clean and maintain pneumatic grinders, chipping hammers, drills, and hand tools.
• Safety compliance: Adhere strictly to plant safety guidelines, including the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like respirators, eye protection, and steel-toed boots.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Experience: Experience in concrete finishing, masonry, or precast manufacturing is highly preferred, though many plants provide on-the-job training.
• Tool Proficiency: Skilled in using hand tools and power equipment such as pneumatic grinders, trowels, scrapers, and pressure washers.
• Attention to Detail: Ability to spot tiny flaws that could compromise a pipe’s structural integrity under high pressure.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Stamina: Ability to stand, bend, kneel, and perform repetitive manual labor for 8 to 12-hour shifts.
• Ladder Use: Must be comfortable with and physically able to perform continuous ladder climbing
• Heavy Lifting: Routinely lifting bags of grout, heavy tools, or equipment up to 50–75 lbs.
• Environment: Precast plants can be loud, dusty, wet, and subject to extreme temperature shifts (hot or cold depending on the season).

Schedule:

• Night shift
• Some weekends and Holidays possible

Work Location: In person

Salary : $48,955 - $66,427