Crane / Tower Operator

Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Crane Operator; Equipment Operator; Heavy Equipment Operator; Machine Operator; Mobile Crane Operator; Overhead Crane Operator; Port Crane Operator; Scrap Crane Operator; Tower Crane Operator; Woodyard Crane Operator

Tasks

• Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
• Inspect crane site conditions to determine ground stability.
• Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.
• Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes.
• Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
• Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs, as necessary.
• Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
• Load or unload bundles from trucks, or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.

Knowledge

• Mechanical
• Mathematics

Skills

• Critical Thinking
• Active Listening
• Monitoring
• Reading Comprehension
• Speaking

Abilities

• Control Precision
• Multilimb Coordination
• Far Vision
• Depth Perception
• Rate Control
• Reaction Time
• Problem Sensitivity
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Selective Attention
• Manual Dexterity
• Response Orientation
• Near Vision
• Oral Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Perceptual Speed
• Visualization
• Visual Color Discrimination
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Information Ordering
• Spatial Orientation
• Time Sharing
• Finger Dexterity
• Glare Sensitivity