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home Construction and the built environment
Insulation installation operative - Framed section - insulation to floors, cold roofs, warm roofs and partition walls

Insulation installation operative - Framed section - insulation to floors, cold roofs, warm roofs and partition walls

Construction and the built environment

Level 2 - Technical Occupation

Insulation for cavity walls -sprayed and blown and framed sections insulation to floors, cold roofs, warm roofs and partition walls

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Reference: OCC1480B

Status: buildOccupational standard in development

Technical Education Products

Summary

This occupation is found in the new build and retrofit sectors of the construction industry. Projects requiring services from insulation installation operatives include all buildings requiring the retrospective fitting of energy efficient insulation as well as new build. This would include commercial, residential (including park homes and heritage assets), industrial sites, schools, hospitals, and prisons.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to install insulation by placing it, blowing it or spraying it in a range of buildings and apply treatments to a range of surfaces including timber, brick and concrete. All work needs to be carried out safely, using the appropriate tools. The insulation operative will focus on the installation of new and/or the upgrade, retrofit or replacement of existing insulation. They will apply wall treatments and apply insulation to roofs, walls, floors, suspended floors and framed sections of buildings along with ancillary products that form part of the application of the product or system. Cavity wall insulation operatives install insulation materials into cavity walls or remove and replace failed or outdated insulation. A framed section insulation operative will place, spray or blow standard, specialised or new and emerging materials to floors, cold roofs, warm roofs and partition walls to support heat efficiency. A qualified insulation operative will sometimes need to work at heights or outdoors, using scaffolding or plant, or in cramped spaces such as domestic housing roofs or cellar spaces.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation will typically interact with the team leader or area manager who they will report to as well as personnel responsible for materials storage, building merchants, clients, homeowners and residents, retrofit coordinators and site managers.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for working in a team, using machinery and tools to install insulation to specification. Key requirements for successful insulation installers include professionalism and high regard for customer service throughout the job, undertaking work and handing completed work back to the customer or client.

Typical job titles include:

Insulation installer

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Awareness of health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance and impact on role of the team and other construction trades. Employer and employee responsibilities. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). Fire safety. Health and Safety at Work Act. Asbestos awareness, Combustible Appliances ventilation and safety requirements. Manual handling, fire extinguishers. Safety signage. Situational awareness. Slips, trips, and falls. Working in confined spaces. Working at height. Reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations (RIDDOR), Provision and use of work equipment regulations (PUWER) & near miss reporting.
K2: Industry legislation, standards and regulations associated with insulating activities: British standards, building regulations, manufacturers’ instructions and warranty requirements.
K3: Safety control equipment and techniques: Personal protective equipment (PPE), Respiratory protective equipment (RPE), dust suppression and Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV).
K4: Impact of the sector on the environment including surface water contamination and carbon footprint.
K5: Awareness of environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance:, recycling, reuse and disposal of products and waste.
K6: Principles of building construction:, roofs, fenestration, walls, floors, utilities and services, insulation, fire, damp proof courses (DPC) and quality of materials, Damp Proof Membrane (DPM), fire protection.
K7: Principles of thermal insulation: airtightness, ventilation, moisture movement, mould prevention, heat transfer, air flow and building fabric.
K8: Safe systems of work: Risk assessment method statements (RAMS), control measures, hazard identification and dynamic risk assessment principles.
K9: Principles of interpreting and using technical instructions, drawings and specifications for example manufacturer’s instructions in paper and digital formats.
K10: Principles of assessing ambient and environment conditions including surface condition, temperature, humidity and moisture content.
K11: Principles and methods of surface preparation to receive insulation material.
K12: Principles of insulation and expansion joints.
K13: Heritage buildings: insulation application techniques, material breathability and compatibility to preserve building integrity.
K14: Property archetypes: Timber frame and concrete construction and their implications for insulation.
K15: Verbal communication techniques used when working in, commercial and domestic environments. Construction terminology.
K16: Escalation procedures: defects or faults in line with regulatory, manufacturers and company guidance.
K17: Documentation requirements such as calibration paperwork, flow rate, material usage, batch numbers and handover documentation.
K18: Team working principles.
K19: Principles of customer service including work impact on vulnerable people.
K20: Inclusion, equity and diversity in the workplace.
K21: Well-being: Mental and physical health considerations in self and others and how to access support.
K22: Employment types: self-employed and employed, small business start-up principles, tax responsibilities, roles and responsibilities.
K23: Principles and characteristics of insulation materials: mineral Wool, cavity rockwool, Natural Grown Hemp Products, Sheep Wool.
K24: Principles and methods of construction ventilation: flues, chimneys and combustion air ventilators.
K33: Principles and characteristics of framed section insulation preparation: suitability, compatibility of insulation materials for roofs, walls loft and underfloor timber and metal stud and vapour control layers, battens, netting for underfloor, services insulation and protection, down lighters in lofts and ventilators.
K34: Types and characteristics of floor, loft and roofing materials: Density and thermal performance and natural grown hemp, rockwool and mineral wool.
K35: Insulation principles and characteristics: suitability of materials, moisture levels, ventilation.
K36: Preparation of site, interpretation and application of design and protection of existing ventilation, importance of timber moisture content evaluation, protection and or insulation of services, relevant fire protection requirements, blowing test boxes,
K37: Placed insulation installation fixing methods: stapling, netting, battens to secure insulation, mitigate against slump or sag.
K38: Material selection and confirmation of shelf life of material.
K39: Material calculation techniques for floors, cold roofs and warm roofs.
K40: Insulation tools and equipment, types, use, calibration and storage.
K41: Measuring and cutting techniques.
K42: Defects and repair techniques and principles: timber replacement, ventilation replacement, sub floor and roof repairs.

S1: Comply with health and safety regulations, standards and guidance.
S2: Select and use safety control equipment including personal protective equipment (PPE), respiratory protective equipment (RPE), dust suppression methods and local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems.
S3: Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
S4: Risk assesses before and during work tasks and implement control measures.
S5: Interpret and use technical instructions, drawings and specifications in paper and digital formats
S6: Assess ambient and environment conditions including surface condition, temperature, humidity and moisture content.
S7: Prepare surfaces for application.
S8: Prepare and maintain building ventilation
S9: Communicate with others verbally using terminology to suit the context for example, customers, residents, colleagues, and managers.
S10: Use digital and paper based documents to record workplace data and information.
S11: Apply team working principles.
S12: Apply customer service principles.
S13: Comply with equity, diversity and inclusion principles.
S14: Identify well-being support available on site or through employer.
S23: Prepare site for installation.
S24: Assess suitability for insulation, moisture levels, ventilation, and compatibility of insulation materials.
S25: Calculate quantities of insulation materials for walls, floors, cold roofs and warm roofs.
S26: Select and use framed section tools and equipment.
S27: Select framed section insulation material confirming shelf life.
S28: Measuring and cutting framed section insulation materials.
S29: Install framed section insulation materials.
S30: Apply timber frame repair techniques and principles.

B1: Put health and safety first.
B2: Consider the environment and sustainability.
B3: Support equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
B4: Seek learning and development opportunities to enhance personal competence
B5: Respond and adapt to work demands and situations and know when to seek advice from others.
B7: Take ownership of own work.

Duties

Duty D1

Work in compliance with fire regulation, building regulations, occupational health, safety, and environmental requirements

Duty D2

Review relevant business interfaces and identify any risks which impact on the implementation of the design

Duty D3

Read & interpret plans and designs to complete insulating tasks

Duty D4

Review relevant building interfaces for risks and defects and report or confirm outcomes

Duty D5

Receive, unload, move and lift materials to site for installation

Duty D6

Implement ventilation & airtightness strategies

Duty D7

Collaborate with duty holders, stakeholders including clients, residents, and other construction trades

Duty D8

Complete quality assurance checks in accordance with plan to enable information and handover in line with set procedures and manufacturers regulations

Duty D9

Use hand and power tools and equipment to complete enabling works

Duty D10

Carry out rectification or remedial work to insulation

Duty D11

Inspect, record and report issues with construction ventilation, flues, chimneys and combustion air ventilators

Duty D15

Assess the suitability, compatibility and characteristics of planned insulation materials, components and finishes including but not limited to floors, cold roofs, warm roofs and partition walls

Duty D16

Calibrate and operate equipment to measure and cut insulation materials for roofs, walls and floors

Duty D17

Prepare and install the insulation system to floors, cold roofs, warm roofs and partition walls to designer specification