Heavy Equipment Operator technicians operate heavy machinery such as heavy articulating rock trucks, loaders, excavators, backhoes, dozers and graders. These machines are used universally for all manner of heavy construction, earth moving, road building, mining, forestry, mega projects all included. Technicians may also be responsible for the basic maintenance of equipment, safety around equipment and the compliance of markers, grades and stakes.

What do these workers do?
(Source: BC Work Futures)

Bulldozer operators clear and level land on construction, mining and forestry sites and push other equipment to provide traction and assistance when needed.

Backhoe operators use a variety of attachments to dig trenches, load heavy materials, vibrate and break rock or concrete, back-fill excavations and scoop and dump materials.

Front-end loader operators operate machines with buckets on the front to pick up heavy loads and dump them in piles or into trucks.

Grader operators spread and level earth, sand, gravel and rock at construction sites. They also regulate the height and angle of grader blades to level surfaces to requirements.

Paver operators operate machines that lay, spread or compact surface materials in highway and road construction with the aid of stakes and level gauges. They may also operate trucks equipped with road sanding, road oiling and other similar apparatus.

Power shovel operators manipulate booms or cranes. Each of these machines support a dipper handle that scoops up material and drops it into trucks or piles.

Sanitation truck drivers remove garbage and refuse, then dump loads at designated sites.

Street sweeper operators drive vehicles equipped with rotating brushes to remove sand, litter and trash from streets, highways and parking lots.

Read the full Heavy Equipment Operator Profile (104kb pdf).

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