Operating Engineer / Other Construction Equipment Operator

Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Back Hoe Operator; Engineering Equipment Operator; Equipment Operator (EO); Forklift Operator; Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO); Hot Mix Asphalt Operator; Machine Operator; Motor Grader Operator; Operating Engineer; Track Hoe Operator

Tasks

• Learn and follow safety regulations.
• Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
• Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
• Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
• Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
• Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
• Signal operators to guide movement of tractor-drawn machines.
• Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.
• Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment.
• Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain.
• Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.
• Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.
• Connect hydraulic hoses, belts, mechanical linkages, or power takeoff shafts to tractors.
• Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches.
• Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup.

Knowledge

• Mechanical
• English Language
• Public Safety and Security

Skills

• Monitoring
• Active Listening

Abilities

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