Men Of Honor: The Importance Of Underwater Welding
1288 Words6 Pages
Devin Thomas
Ann Herman
English III 3rd block
November 24 2014
The Importance of Underwater Welding Underwater welding is often overlooked as a career and in the economy. Most people do not understand that underwater welding is not just used on ships. It is used in many other ways such as oil rigs, bridges, road systems and naval equipment. Industries depend on welding to perform repairs and construct strong support systems. A career in underwater welding is demanding, rewarding and dangerous. A popular view of underwater welding for most people was viewing the movie Men of Honor. The movie shows some ways how underwater welding is used and presents a positive view of the career. Underwater welding is a risky career that has…show more content… Over forty percent of our heavy industrial manufacturing firms businesses say that our country not having enough qualified welders impact productivity to some degree. Some thirty percent of the businesses in the automotive and building sector showed similar levels of impact. The need for qualified welders expands to all welding-related professions including technicians and engineers. The welding industry is expect to grow a lot so its a industry that would be a good idea to get into since there is a shortage in it. The future for underwater welding is expected to grow very rapidly and it’s supposed to grow by the millions of dollars. For example, PR Newswire expects growth in welding to reach $820 million by 2019. This is a growth of over forty-three percent in less than seven years according to their publisher numbers (“PR Newswire”).
The dangers of underwater welding are fairly high but for many the benefits outway the risks. The risks for any diver are very real. These include hypothermia, decompression sickness, and possible drowning in the event of equipment failure . Welding under the water also has a very high risk of electrical shock. Another major risk is for underwater explosion while working on certain structures. Underwater welders who are experienced in the field, working for years in this career, have reported difficulties with muscle aches, hearing, and even memory and cognitive…show more content… Colleges are having a hard time producing enough welders for the demand. For example, at Ocean Corp training in Houston, Texas, there are 25 companies recruiting each student who is a graduate of their program.This field is related to oil and gas energy so it is not expected not going away in the near future. Les Joiner, a trainer for underwater welders, says, “We don’t have enough oil and gas reserves, and we’ll probably be using more oil and gas than we can pump in less than a decade. This field isn't going anywhere”