Hoist and Winch Operators

Key skills

A typical day

• •Move levers, pedals, and throttles to stop, start, and regulate speeds of hoist or winch drums in response to hand, bell, buzzer, telephone, loud-speaker, or whistle signals, or by observing dial indicators or cable marks.
• •Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
• •Observe equipment gauges and indicators and hand signals of other workers to verify load positions or depths.
• •Operate compressed air, diesel, electric, gasoline, or steam-driven hoists or winches to control movement of cableways, cages, derricks, draglines, loaders, railcars, or skips.
• •Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.

Fields of study

Any field