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Heavy equipment operator

Workers using engineering equipment

Field	Value
name	Heavy equipment operator
image	Tree harvester.jpg
caption	Harvester operator
type	Vocation
activity_sector	Construction
competencies		formation =
employment_field	construction
related_occupation	excavator operator, Driver

A heavy equipment operator operates heavy equipment used in engineering and construction projects. Typically only skilled workers may operate heavy equipment, and there is specialized training for learning to use heavy equipment.

Operator training

Various organizations set standards for training for heavy equipment operators. Such organizations typically offer what in the US is called "effective safety training". Specific organizations include the following:

United States
- International Union of Operating Engineers
- Association of Equipment Manufacturers
- National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools
Canada
- International Union of Operating Engineers

Safety

Much publication about heavy equipment operators focuses on improving safety for such workers. The occupational medicine field researches and makes recommendations about safety for these and other workers in safety-sensitive positions. Hand signals are also important for machinery operators as it facilitates visual aid for safe work in spite of factors such as noise and a crowded environment.

Notable heavy equipment operators

Mack Ray Edwards (1918–1971), child sex abuser/serial killer; buried victims at his construction sites; committed suicide by hanging in his prison cell

Types

These subdivisions, in this order, are the standard heavy equipment categorization. Some contractors place numbers on the side of their equipment corresponding to the category – Grader '02' – followed by a sequential number that usually corresponds to the number it was purchased, for example, 02-112, is the 112th grader a company has purchased since their founding. This allows for easy recognition of the equipment type and the relevant age.--

Tractor

Bulldozer (dozer, track dozer)
Combine harvester
Snowcat
Snowplow
Skidder
Tractor (wheel tractor)
Tracked tractor
Locomotive
Artillery tractor
Crawler-transporter
Military engineering vehicles

Grader

Grader

Excavator

Amphibious excavator
Compact excavator
Dragline excavator
Dredger
Bucket-wheel excavator
Excavator (digger)
Long reach excavator
Power shovel
Reclaimer
Suction excavator
Walking excavator
Trencher
Yarder

Backhoe

Backhoe
Backhoe loader

Timber

Feller buncher
Harvester
Forwarder
Skidder
Power saw
Stump grinder
Track harvester
Wheel forwarder
Wheel skidder
Logging truck

Pipelayer

Pipelayer (sideboom)

Scraper

Fresno scraper
Scraper
Wheel tractor-scraper (belly scraper) Mining
Construction and mining tractor
Construction and mining truck
Dumper
Dump truck
Haul truck
Mining equipment Articulated
Articulated hauler

Compactor

Wheel dozer (soil compactor)
Soil stabilizer

Loader

Loader (payloader, front loader, wheel loader, integrated tool carrier)
Skip loader (skippy)

Track loader

Track loader

Skid-steer loader

Skid-steer loader

Material handler

Aerial work platform, Lift table
Crane
Block-setting crane
Bulk-handling crane
Crane vessel
Aerial crane
Container crane
Gantry crane
Overhead crane
Electric overhead traveling crane
Ring crane
Level luffing crane
Mobile crane
Travel lift
Forklift
Garbage truck
Grapple truck, Knuckleboom loader (trailer mount)
Straddle carrier
Sidelifter
Reach stacker
Telescopic handlers
Tow truck

Paving

Asphalt paver
Asphalt plant
Cold planer
Cure rig
Paver
Pavement milling
Pneumatic tire compactor
Roller (road roller, roller compactor)
Slipform paver
Vibratory compactor, Compactor

Underground

Roadheader
Tunnel boring machine
Underground mining equipment

Hydromatic tool

Ballast tamper
Attachments
Drilling rig
Horizontal directional drilling
Earth auger
Pile driver
Post pounder
Rotary tiller (rototiller, rotovator)

Hydraulic machinery

Highway

Tractor unit
Ballast tractor
Pushback tractor
Railcar mover
Highway 10 yard rear dump
Highway bottom dump (stiff), pup (belly train), triple
Highway end dump and side dump
Highway transfer, Transfer train
Concrete mixer
Concrete mix truck
Concrete mix dozer
Lowboy (trailer)
Street sweeper
Street sweep truck
Street sweep dozer

References

"Construction Equipment Operators : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics".
V. J. Davies, Ken Tomasin. (1996). "Construction Safety Handbook". Thomas Telford.
"Crane Hand Signals: Vital for Construction Safety".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

construction-trades-workers heavy-equipment

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