Staring between rows of interlaced steel to the pavement 300 feet below is something out of a nightmare for most -- for an ironworker that’s the office.
Brian Baek is a Vancouver ironworker who last year took part in creating the lattice of steel and bolts that makes up the Deloitte Summit, an office building in downtown Vancouver next to the Vancouver Public Library. Scheduled to be completed this year, the last girder was added to the building in 2020. The uniquely shaped tower is composed of a series of steel-framed boxes giving the building its 24 storeys and a total height of 301 feet.
Baek, who recently finished his three-year apprenticeship from the ironworker course at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, decided to show off the view and scale of the building in a video. Using a 360-degree camera strapped to his chest he captured dizzying heights, spectacular views and the day-to-day feats of strength and athleticism employed by the city’s ironworkers.
'Death instincts'
As for how he is able to work through the fear of falling, Baek told Vancouver Is Awesome most get used to the heights after a week or two, otherwise, it's a matter of faith.
“I call it the death instincts. You're up in the air and there's nothing below you -- you kind of get freaked out,” Baek said. "To be honest you've just gotta trust your equipment. If you start thinking other things it really messes with your mind.”
Other than a good deal of bravery, Baek says there are few other things a good ironworker possesses in spades, like extremely good balance and a solid work ethic.
"If you want to get into this trade you definitely have to be a hard worker. If you're the type of person who blows shifts you're not gonna really succeed in this career I don't think," Baek said.
By far the most common question asked of Baek is how much he makes. Baek explained that it depends on whether the job is in the industrial or commercial sector but a journeyman ironworker with a Red Seal certification can make anywhere between $40-$44/hr.
In Baek’s time as an ironworker, he has heard misconceptions about people working in the trade. He has heard they are sometimes thought of as “just really dumb construction workers,” a trope Baek pushes back on referencing the amount of education an ironworker has under their tool belt.
40,000-pound steel beams
Aside from moving steel beams sometimes weighing upwards of 40,000 pounds using rigging techniques, ironworkers can also double as welders and can also work creating concrete structures as well.
Depending on what site he gets to work on, Baek hopes to create more videos in the future so be sure to check out his YouTube channel.
