Mid Green occupationConstruction and the built environment
Craft bricklayer
Set out and lay bricks, brick specials, blocks and other materials.
Summary
This occupation is found in the built environment including in the new build, refurbishment and heritage sectors. Projects vary in size, type and duration, ranging from the creation of specialist features such as arches and chimneys for a domestic customer to the repair of a listed building to a large-scale commercial project utilising multiple facework types, techniques and materials. Employers of craft bricklayers vary in size from small companies to large commercial contractors. Craft bricklayers are masters in their field and often provide technical leadership and supervise the work of others.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to set out and lay bricks, brick specials, blocks and other materials to construct and repair complex walls and features such as chimneys, battered, angled, radial and decorative masonry work. Craft bricklayers plan and organise the work site, both for themselves and others and verify the quality of the work of others within their team. They are technical experts in their team, providing direction and advice to others and advise on work approach and problem solving. They are responsible for ensuring the masonry element of the construction programme is delivered to specification, time and in a safe and sustainable manner. Craft bricklayers typically work outdoors on construction sites, in most weathers and at height.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with their immediate team and the site management team on all masonry aspects of the construction programme including planning, technical expertise and project progress. They often liaise with other construction trades such as site carpenters and roofers who could work for their own organisation or another contractor. As the technical lead for masonry they are also expected to liaise with other construction professionals for example the clerk of works and site engineer and in the case of smaller specialist projects, the client, architect and building control surveyor.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for ensuring the products they and their team create are of a high quality and meet standards, specifications and design plans. They are expected to do this with due regard to all safety aspects involved with working on a construction site, ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others at all times. With sustainable construction at the forefront of all projects, it is expected they would give consideration and advise others on the environment and sustainability of materials, waste awareness and recycling.
Typical job titles include
- Craft bricklayer | Foreman bricklayer | Senior bricklayer
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Awareness of health, safety and welfare 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. Manual handling. Fire extinguishers. Safety signage. Situational awareness. Slips, trips, and falls. Working in confined spaces. Working at height. Electrical safety. Reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations (RIDDOR), Provision and use of work equipment regulations (PUWER) & near miss reporting, signage and meaning
K2:
Safety Control equipment and safety techniques: Personal protective equipment (PPE), respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and dust suppression
K3:
Types incidents - accidents, near misses. Mitigation methods. Incident management techniques
K4:
Safe systems of work, control measure implementation and monitoring techniques
K5:
Environmental management systems and standards. Environmental Protection Act. Surface water management plan, Environmental signage and notices. Types of pollution and control measures: water, noise, air pollution, smells, spills, waste and disposal of hazardous waste
K6:
The importance and considerations of the environment: U values, R Values, thermal bridging, airtightness, acoustic performance, and applicable building regulations
K7:
The principles of building construction: Fire safety, fire stopping, water ingress, masonry defects, concrete defects, timber defects and repair. Structural stability incl. brick ties. Gas barriers. Retaining walls. Mortar additives, Brick specials
K8:
Transfer levels, methods and techniques; straight edge and spirit level, optical and laser levels
K9:
Modern Methods of Construction: Timber frame. Steel frame, Insulated Concrete Forms, Modular and concrete frames, Cross Laminated Timber Frames
K10:
The principles of heritage building, considerations, like for like wall replacement and other techniques applicable to the bricklayer
K11:
Standards and regulations associated with bricklaying activities: British standards, building regulations, warranty provider standards and new homes quality board
K12:
Methods of interpreting information from drawings, specifications, the production plan and producing work instructions, utilising traditional and digital methods
K13:
Resource quantity calculation techniques, costing, wastage and recycling allowance
K14:
Stock, material stock and considerations: Availability, stock lead times. Correct handling to prevent damage. Stock value. Faulty stock and returns process, stock rotation and quality control
K15:
Craft bricklayer tools, safe use and maintenance techniques: sliding bevels, trammels, squares, straight edges, site protractors, spring dividers, angle rules and scutch and masonry cut off saws
K16:
Powertools check, safe use, maintenance and storage, defect or fault escalation
K17:
Craft brickwork techniques: basket weave, stack bond, victorian weave, segmental and semi arches, rough and axed, battered work, tumbling in, brick and block bonded quoins, dog toothing and dental courses
K18:
Axed arches and surrounding haunch brickwork: Setting out and construction techniques
K19:
Curved on plan masonry: setting out and construction techniques
K20:
Sloped (vertical angles on plan) brickwork setting out and construction techniques
K21:
Decorative brick features and panels: setting out and construction techniques
K22:
Setting out and construction techniques: herringbone panels and masonry corbelling
K23:
Masonry reinforcement and specialist systems masonry purpose and use: Bed joint reinforcement, shelf angle, wind posts, helical bar and specialist DPC (damp proof course) systems
K24:
Angled on plan, off square masonry, setting out and construction techniques
K25:
Fireplaces and chimney setting out, construction and materials: hearths, plinths, flue liners and chimney pots
K26:
Written communication techniques. Plain English principles
K27:
Documentation methods and requirements - digital and paper based
K28:
Planning, work scheduling, and time management techniques for self and others
K29:
Quality assurance requirements
K30:
Well-being: mental and physical health considerations in self and others and how to access support
K31:
Inclusion, equity and diversity in the workplace
Technical Educational Products
- ST1334: Craft bricklayer (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- TQL3C11048RN5194: NOCN Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry (NVQ) for Trowel Occupations (Diploma) (Level 3)
- TQL3C11046RN5194: NOCN Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry for Craft Bricklayers (Diploma) (Level 3)
- TQL3S11003RN5217: City & Guilds Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Bricklaying (Diploma) (Level 3)
- Reference:
- OCC1334
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £30,925 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5313 Bricklayers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5313/00 Bricklayers
S1:
Comply with health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance
S2:
Apply environmental and sustainable principles in compliance with regulations standards and systems for example segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal
S3:
Implement and monitor safe systems of work and control measures
S4:
Comply with industry standards, guidance and tolerances
S5:
Identify and use safety control equipment including RPE, dust suppression and PPE
S6:
Interpret and extract information using paper based or digital techniques from drawings, specifications and the production plan to provide work instructions
S7:
Check, safely use and store power tools and equipment for example, drills, mixers. Escalate defects or faults
S8:
Safely use and maintain tools and masonry cut off saws
S9:
Calculate resource and cost quantities from site measurements
S10:
Set out and build sloped (vertical on plan) angled brickwork for example, battered work or tumbling in
S11:
Set out and build off square horizontal on plan angled masonry work for example: obtuse or acute angles
S12:
Set out and build axed arches and surrounding haunch brickwork, for example segmental or semi
S13:
Set out and build a decorative brick features, for example brick and block bonded quoins, dog toothing or dental courses
S14:
Set out and build curved masonry work for example, concave or convex
S15:
Set out and build a decorative panel. For example, basket weave, stack bond or victorian weave
S16:
Construct walls with complex elements. For example, bed joint reinforcement, helical bar, wind posts, support angles, specialist DPC systems or heritage principles (like for like wall replacement)
S17:
Set out and build herringbone panels
S18:
Set out and building masonry corbelling
S19:
Apply planning, work scheduling and time management techniques to identify and agree production plan targets
S20:
Apply quality assurance procedures
S21:
Communicate and report in written form any issues against the production plan and contribute to the solutions
S22:
Obtain, monitor and rotate stock and supplies
S23:
Complete documentation - paper based or digital. For example, job sheets, time sheets, risk assessments, method statements, equipment service records, handover documents, work sheets, checklists, incident reports, requisition sheets, quality records
S24:
Transfer levels, using for example straight edge & spirit level, optical or laser levels
Technical Educational Products
- ST1334: Craft bricklayer (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- TQL3C11048RN5194: NOCN Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry (NVQ) for Trowel Occupations (Diploma) (Level 3)
- TQL3C11046RN5194: NOCN Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry for Craft Bricklayers (Diploma) (Level 3)
- TQL3S11003RN5217: City & Guilds Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Bricklaying (Diploma) (Level 3)
- Reference:
- OCC1334
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £30,925 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5313 Bricklayers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5313/00 Bricklayers
B1:
Take personal responsibility for their own health and safety
B2:
Support an inclusive culture
B3:
Take responsibility for the quality of work and encourage others to work to high standards
B4:
Collaborate and promote teamwork across disciplines and external stakeholders
B5:
Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in their own area of practice
B6:
Promotes health, safety, environment and sustainability principles to others
Technical Educational Products
- ST1334: Craft bricklayer (Level 3) Approved for delivery
- TQL3C11048RN5194: NOCN Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry (NVQ) for Trowel Occupations (Diploma) (Level 3)
- TQL3C11046RN5194: NOCN Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry for Craft Bricklayers (Diploma) (Level 3)
- TQL3S11003RN5217: City & Guilds Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Bricklaying (Diploma) (Level 3)
- Reference:
- OCC1334
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £30,925 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5313 Bricklayers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5313/00 Bricklayers