Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

Key skills

A typical day

• •Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.
• •Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.
• •Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.
• •Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.
• •Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, or making winter roads.

Fields of study

Any field