Waterway Operatives / Lock Keeper

Salary
A range of experience: £11,500 - £13,500
Highly experienced, covering large stretches of canal and inland rivers: £20,000
Some lock-keeping posts are offered with accommodation - usually a cottage.

Main Employers

• British Waterways
• Environment Agency
• Seasonal positions

Job profile
Waterway operatives are responsible for operating and maintaining the lock mechanisms that allow boats to pass from one level to another. As well as water control, their responsibilities include canal and river maintenance, small plant operation and operating sluice mechanisms and weirs near to the lock. Some locks are manually operated and for unmanned or automated locks, the lock keeper may have to give instructions to customers wanting to pass through. Hydraulic locks are less strenuous to operate, but are more complex. These sometimes have to be overseen by an experienced lock keeper.

Role and Responsibilities
Jobs will vary according to each employer; however you could expect to be involved in:

• Painting and repairing locks, bollards and hooks
• Maintenance of towpath
• Caring for local wildlife
• Monitoring the weather and flood conditions,
• Coming to the aid of boaters and other visitors in trouble
• Issuing licences, accepting payment and policing licence evasion
• Arranging the removal of items dumped in the canal
• Reporting pollution and fly-tipping incidents

Qualifications
There are no formal entry requirements for lock keepers, although familiarity with the local area and relevant experience are advantageous. Additional knowledge of agriculture, horticulture, the building industry and DIY is also beneficial.

Lock keepers may be able to work towards a relevant NVQ/SVQ, such as Level 2 in Maintaining and Conserving Rivers, Coasts and Waterways, or Levels 2 and 3 in Environmental Conservation (Rivers, Coasts and Waterways).

Career Development
There is fierce competition for jobs, often with many more applicants than vacancies. The Environment Agency employs lock keepers to cover the Thames non-tidal stretch, including approximately 45 resident lock keepers, 20 area relief personnel and 12 district relief staff. The appointment of summer assistants usually doubles their workforce.

The Association of Pleasure Craft Operators (APCO) runs an annual competition to find the best lock-keeping team in the country, a prize that is well respected in the industry.

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