Millwrights generally work eight hour days. Apprentices usually start out helping journeymen with basic tasks like material handling, and move into sophisticated jobs as their knowledge and skills increase. Although millwrights work indoors much of the time on installation and maintenance work, their duties also involve working on the outside of buildings and other structures, in situations often requiring the use of scaffolding. Quite often millwrights are required to work split shifts and overtime, and to travel long distances for work. In such cases the union sees to it that the millwright is compensated with overtime pay and travel allowance. Millwrights work with a variety of hand and portable power tools, and frequently cut, join and fasten metal construction materials using welding equipment and oxy-acetylene torches.