Heavy Equipment Operators (except Crane)

Nature of work

Heavy equipment operators use a variety of mobile machines and attachments. They excavate, grade, and landscape earth. They also move materials and equipment. They work for construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments and pipelines, logging, cargo handling, and other companies.

Job duties

Heavy equipment operators:

• Use heavy equipment like backhoes, bulldozers, loaders, and graders to excavate, move, load and grade earth, rock, gravel or other materials during construction and related activities.
• Use bulldozers or other heavy equipment to clear brush and stumps prior to logging activities and to build roads at logging and surface mining sites.
• Use heavy equipment with pile driver head to drive piling into earth to provide support for buildings, bridges, or other structures.
• Use heavy dredging equipment to deepen waterways or reclaim earth fill.
• Use heavy paving and surfacing equipment to lay, spread or compact concrete, asphalt and other surface materials during highway and road construction.
• Use power shovels to excavate rock, ore or other materials from open-pit mines, strip mines, quarries, or construction pits.
• Use heavy equipment to move, load and unload cargo.
• Complete pre-operational checks on equipment and clean, lubricate and refill equipment.

Sample job titles

• asphalt-paving machine operator
• backhoe operator
• construction equipment operator
• dozer operator
• excavator operator
• heavy equipment operator
• heavy-duty equipment operator
• road grader operator

Skills

• Good eye, hand, and foot coordination
• Good vision and spatial awareness
• Fast reflexes
• Mechanical ability
• Alertness and safety consciousness
• Strength and stamina
• An ability to work well in a team or on their own
• Ability to troubleshoot problems
• You must also be able to take direction and carry out instructions given by supervisors.

Job requirements

• High school or equivalent (usually).
• Some high school, college, or industry courses in heavy equipment operating combined with on-the-job training are required.
• Internal company certification may be required by some employers.
• Trade Qualifier option, 8,100 hours, and other criteria.
• Certification for heavy equipment operators is voluntary in Nova Scotia.
• Write and score a minimum of 70% on the Red Seal exam for heavy equipment operators.
• Red Seal Endorsement (RSE) allows for interprovincial mobility.

Other considerations

• Dozer operators use dozers to move, spread and strip earth, rock, gravel, or other materials during construction.
• Excavator operators use excavators to excavate, move, lift, strip, stockpile, and place earth, rock, gravel, or other materials. Excavators are also used to create slopes, clear land, logging, and surface mining sites, and carry out demolitions.
• Tractor-loader-backhoe operators (TLB) use tractor-loader-backhoes to move and load earth, rock, gravel, or other materials during construction.
• Heavy equipment operators work outdoors in almost any kind of weather. The cabs of their machines may be air-conditioned, and dust controlled. For most, work is seasonal. They may need to work a lot of overtime during peak times. In slower months they can expect layoffs.
• The work location is often noisy. It is dusty and dirty. Sometimes equipment operators work in dangerous areas. They may have to work in confined spaces.
• Heavy equipment operators sit in vehicles for extended periods of time. The equipment vibrates and bounces. It is important to follow signals from the ground crew.
• Experienced operators may move into related positions like safety officer or trainer. They may also advance to supervisory positions.

Regulations

Contacts

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