Maintenance and repair workersMost craft workers specialize in one kind of work, such as plumbing or carpentry. General maintenance and repair workers, however, have skills in many different crafts. They repair and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems. They build partitions, make plaster or drywall repairs, and fix or paint roofs, windows, doors, floors, woodwork, and other parts of building structures. They also maintain and repair specialized equipment and machinery found in cafeterias, laundries, hospitals, stores, offices, and factories. Typical duties include troubleshooting and fixing faulty electrical switches, repairing air-conditioning motors, and unclogging drains. New buildings sometimes have computer-controlled systems, requiring workers to acquire basic computer skills. For example, new air-conditioning systems often can be controlled from a central computer terminal. In addition, light sensors can be electronically controlled to turn off lights automatically after a set amount of time. General maintenance and repair workers inspect and diagnose problems and determine the best way to correct them, frequently checking blueprints, repair manuals, and parts catalogs. They obtain supplies and repair parts from distributors or storerooms. Using common hand and power tools such as screwdrivers, saws, drills, wrenches, and hammers, as well as specialized equipment and electronic testing devices, these workers replace or fix worn or broken parts, where necessary, or make adjustments to correct malfunctioning equipment and machines. General maintenance and repair workers also perform routine preventive maintenance and ensure that machines continue to run smoothly, building systems operate efficiently, and the physical condition of buildings does not deteriorate. Following a checklist, they may inspect drives, motors, and belts, check fluid levels, replace filters, and perform other maintenance actions. Maintenance and repair workers keep records of their work. Employees in small establishments, where they are often the only maintenance worker, make all repairs, except for very large or difficult jobs. In larger establishments, their duties may be limited to the general maintenance of everything in a workshop or a particular area. Related news articles Leak Leads to Hidden Room at Ex-Hotel - 16 Oct 2006 Forbes,Bluefield. Maintenance worker Dan Kirby was knocking down a wall looking for pipes two weeks ago when he found an entire room. The ... Teen required six-organ transplant - 16 Oct 2006 NewsOK.com (subscription),Debbie, who works for the Chickasaw Nation, and Keith, a maintenance worker at an aircraft parts plant in Ada, are staying in Miami while Jake recovers. ... Hydro officials warned of danger, court hears - 16 Oct 2006 Ottawa Sun,Robert Bednarek, a maintenance worker with the electrical utility, and OPG itself also face charges of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm. ... Official warned of spillway swimming - 16 Oct 2006 Ottawa Sun,Lawrence Plant Group manager, John Tammadge and maintenance worker Robert Bednarek, was the result of a discussion Threader had with Tammadge at a barbecue. ... Guard wounded, foils church robbery - 16 Oct 2006 Montgomery Advertiser,Aricer was escorting William Rice, the church's business manager, and a church maintenance worker, across the parking lot to deliver the night's bingo cash to ... Maintenance worker wins huge jackpot - Sep 19, 2006 Chicago Tribune,ATLANTA, GEORGIA -- A 52-year-old maintenance man collected a $163 million lottery jackpot Monday. Now you can call him a retired maintenance man. ... Maintenance worker discovers slain tenant - Sep 15, 2006 Fort Worth Star Telegram,By DEANNA BOYD. FORT WORTH - A maintenance man checking on the welfare of an apartment resident Wednesday evening climbed through ... Maintenance Worker Wins $163 Million Jackpot - Sep 19, 2006 WMTW,ATLANTA -- When he was asked if he still works as a maintenance man, Ben Chason answered he's retired. And considering he's suddenly ... Maintenance worker sues apartment owner - Sep 27, 2006 Madison County Record,A maintenance contractor is suing the owner of a Belleville apartment complex, claiming injuries from tripping over a raised piece of carpet. ... Maintenance worker wins $163 million jackpot - Sep 18, 2006 Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription),A 52-year-old maintenance man for the Bainbridge Housing Authority has won the largest lottery jackpot awarded in state history. ... Maintenance worker finds apartment resident dead - Sep 14, 2006 Fort Worth Star Telegram,By DEANNA BOYD. FORT WORTH — A maintenance man checking on the welfare of an apartment resident Wednesday evening climbed through ... Sheriffs' log - Oct 15, 2006 Nevada Appeal,Bail was set at $3,500 cash. • A 38-year-old maintenance worker from Reno was arrested at 12:50 am Saturday in the 800 block of East Musser Street on ... Old files linked to bribery case found in shower stall - Oct 15, 2006 Miami Herald,...annals of Miami corruption -- had gone dark. So he asked a maintenance worker to change a light bulb. The worker climbed a ladder and ... Pegasus Technologies Innovative Use of CRYPTOCard's Authentication ... - Oct 11, 2006 Business Wire (press release),Today, once a maintenance worker has reviewed the Red Tags, they simply contact the clearance station by radio or phone, switch on CRYPTOCard’s RB-1 ... Victim calls police, but no luck - Oct 15, 2006 MLive.com,...damage. "I can't even get an estimate (to fix it) until I make a police report," said Ullrich, a maintenance worker for Saginaw. ... If a tree falls in the city, is it just election time? - Oct 15, 2006 Chicago Tribune,..."If you're going to vote for somebody, they should do something for you," said Gomez, a maintenance worker who lives in a two-story frame house on the city's ... Pegasus Use of CRYPTOCard's Authentication Tokens Saves Lower ... - Oct 11, 2006 Computing News,Today, once a maintenance worker has reviewed the Red Tags, they simply contact the clearance station by radio or phone, switch on CRYPTOCard's RB-1 ... Post office worker hurt in fall - Oct 10, 2006 WALB-TV,Albany -- An Albany Post office maintenance worker was injured in a fall on the roof of the South Slappey Post Office. About 11 ... Netting suggested to keep pigeons off Courthouse statue - Oct 11, 2006 SalemNews.net,In other maintenance-related business, the commissioners agreed to hire Jeffrey Elliott of Lisbon as a temporary full-time maintenance worker at a rate of ... More information on Maintenance and repair workers from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Maintenance and repair workers occupation Number of Maintenance and repair workers in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Maintenance and repair workers Working conditions for Maintenance and repair workers Significant points for Maintenance and repair workers Training requirements for Maintenance and repair workers Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |