Working groups
     Each fitter usually works with a mate under the direction of a foreman or chargehand. He may also have an apprentice whom he helps and gives the benefit of his experience.

Overhauls
     Each year, in the turbine house, major overhauls are undertaken on at least one of the generating sets, and minor overhauls on others. A major overhaul may last several weeks. It involves a wide range of skills from removing the heavy turbine housing to precision work in resetting the turbine blade clearances, which must often be done to within an accuracy of one thou. (1/1,000”). Besides work on the turbo-generator, there is smaller plant to be overhauled. This includes such items as the evaporators, extraction pumps, circulating-water pumps and the water- treatment plant.
    In the boiler house, after the boiler has been cleaned, the fitter sets to work removing, reconditioning and refitting internal equipment, including pressure parts and safety valves, to ensure that they comply with statutory regulations. He strips and rebuilds the grates in certain stations and overhauls coal pulverising mills in others ; he also inspects soot-blowers, blowdown and drain pipelines, traversing chutes and coal chutes, and overhauls forced and induced draught fans.
    In addition, there are overhauls to be done on the coal-handling plant, which includes conveyor belts and grab cranes; and on the locomotives which some stations use for shunting coal wagons.

Maintenance and repairs
     Overhauls are normally carried out in the summer when the domestic demand for electricity has fallen off. Apart from these, fitters must maintain the plant in good order throughout the year so that the station is always capable of generating at full load when the need arises. This calls for not only routine checks, but also a readiness to put right any breakdown or fault as soon as it occurs. For example, some mechanical defect on a crane may interrupt unloading of coal from a ship, and repairs must be done quickly so that the ship can catch the outgoing tide.

Why the Mechanical Fitter matters
     The mechanical fitter’s role is vital in a power station, whether he is involved in planned maintenance and overhaul or in putting right defects and failures. His skill, quickness on the job, imagination and ability to cope with the unexpected are quickly recognised and appreciated and have a direct bearing upon the efficiency of his station.