Lords of the Hand Stars

A competition of gas cutters and electric welders was held at AlES JSC

In mid-December 2022, AlES JSC held competitions among electric welders and gas cutters for the title of best craftsman in the profession. Professional skills competitions have a long tradition. Gas cutting competitions have been held in the company for 15 years; more than 240 people have taken part in them. The competition of electric welders at the Metals and Welding Service of PRP “Energoremont” has been held for 23 years, more than 350 people tried their hand at the competition. The competition was held at the welding site and in the technical class of the Energoremont PRP in compliance with all industrial and sanitary safety standards.

– First, the best welders and cutters are selected in departments, then the winners are sent to a competition. Before the start of the competition, all participants undergo registration and medical examination,” noted Kanat Musakhanov, leading engineer of the Metals and Welding Service. – On the first day they take practice, on the second – theory. Each reel has a stamp number. When the results are checked, no one knows whose work it is. Everything is confidential, in fairness, we only evaluate the work. I would like to note that this year the guys did more than well.

Damira Sambaeva, senior inspector for occupational safety and health at PRP Energoremont, closely monitored compliance with safety regulations when performing hot work.

– We are checking the technology of work. For example, you should not knock on the burners. They need to be removed. The main thing for every gas cutter and electric welder is safe work,” said Damira Sambaeva. – The competition is held among the best employees, so they must set an example in their departments in their work and in observing safety regulations. This year, at the gas cutting competition, one ball was played to determine the winner. Those who did not maintain the firing distance had their points reduced.

Last year, Zholdas Arykbaev, a 4th category mechanic at UZTK, won the gas cutter competition, and this year he decided to try himself in manual arc welding. He always tries to combine theory and practice, to clearly understand how to cook, with which electrode and how many millimeters.

– This is my first time participating in the competition. Although I have been working in our company since 2009. Welding brings me great pleasure. I am self-taught, the first in my family to cook. Then I went to study. As they say: live forever, learn forever,” continued Nurbolat Kabanbaev, 5th category electric welder at UZTK.

The guest of honor at the competition was Tatyana Mikhno, a 6th grade welder, retired. Gold reserve, iron reserve of the company. There are no exes, that’s what Tatyana Konstantinovna thinks. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, she was called by her colleagues to work at the test site, because… master, lived in the region. And as we remember, the city was closed then, but there was always light and warmth.

– You can’t abandon your own. I will always help my home company. I’m glad that they remember and recognize me. My students are now working in different positions. I raised real eagles and eaglets. Some of them still cooked today,” said Tatyana Mikhno, who still often dreams of welding.

Talgat Akhaev, 5th category electric welder at TsREO-2, studied with Tatyana Mikhno.

– I remember Tatyana Konstantinovna well. She is both kind and strict. I was lucky that I learned the basics of welding from real professionals in their field,” said Talgat Akhaev.

Sergey Chernykh, a flaw detectorist at the Metals and Welding Service, has been assessing the quality of the competitors’ work for nine years. Using a flaw detector, he gives an objective assessment of the work. Determines pores, lack of penetration, undercuts in welded joints. A few years ago, he was surprised by one competitor – a 4th-grade mechanic who welded metal better than a 6th-grade one. It was Edik Omarov, who now works as a vocational training foreman.

– All the guys who participate in the competition studied with us. We provide both theory and practice. The guys have been studying at the training ground for almost a year. In addition, all gas cutters and electric welders of the company undergo annual recertification with us, as well as all interested workers who want to improve their skills or acquire a related specialty. We also confirm our qualifications every two years in Karaganda,” continued Edik Omarov, industrial training master, professional welder.

Participants in the professional skills competition demonstrated theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and professional experts in the field of welding, based on the results of completing tasks, allocated places in the competition.

Winners of the competition “Best Gas Cutter 2022”:

1st place – Abildaev D.A., mechanic for repairing equipment of boiler rooms and dust preparation shops, 5th category at CREO-2;

2nd place – Turdakhunov Sh.T., mechanic for repairing equipment of boiler rooms and dust preparation shops, 5th category at CREO-1

III place – Oskenbaev N.B., mechanic for repair of steam and gas turbine equipment, 5th category at CREO-1

Winners of the competition “Best Electric Welder 2022”:

I place – Aburov E.S., electric welder of manual welding, 4 categories at the Central Electrical Welding Center

II place – Arykbaev Zh.T., mechanic for repairing equipment of boiler rooms and dust preparation shops, 4 categories at UZTK

III place – Abdіkasymov A.B., electric welder of manual welding, 4 categories at CREO-2

All competition winners were awarded cash prizes and diplomas.