Excavating Machine Operators Job Description

The Excavating Machine Operator operates or tends machinery equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets, to excavate and load loose materials.

The Tasks of the Excavating Machine Operator

• The Excavating Machine Operator moves levers, depress foot pedals, and turns dials to operate power machinery such as power shovels, stripping-shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.
• The Excavating Machine Operator sets up and inspects equipment prior to operation.
• The Excavating Machine Operator observes hand signals, grade stakes, and other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.
• The Excavating Machine Operator becomes familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and with efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.
• The Excavating Machine Operator operates machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, and making winter roads.
• The Excavating Machine Operator creates and maintains inclines and ramps, and handles slides, mud, and pit cleanings and maintenance.
• The Excavating Machine Operator lubricates, adjusts, and repairs machinery, and replaces parts such as gears, bearings, and bucket teeth.
• The Excavating Machine Operator moves materials over short distances, such a around a construction site, factory, or warehouse.
• The Excavating Machine Operator measures and verifies levels of rock or gravel, bases, and other excavated material.
• The Excavating Machine Operator receives written or oral instructions regarding material movement or excavation.

The following tools used in this occupation:

• Draglines- Crawler mounted draglines; walking draglines
• Earthmoving buckets or its parts or accessories-Grading buckets
• Levels-Engineers’ levels’ Hand levels’ Laser levels
• Mobile excavators- Mini excavators; Telescoping excavators
• Track excavators- Compact excavators; Hydraulic excavators; Tracked excavators
• Wheel Loaders- Skip loaders; Wheeled loaders

The Excavating Machine Operator needs knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. The Excavating Machine Operator needs knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, or buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads. The Excavating Machine Operator needs knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. The Excavating Machine Operator performs routine maintenance on equipment and determines when and what kind of maintenance is needed. The Excavating Machine Operator controls operations of equipment or systems. The Excavating Machine Operator watches gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. The Excavating Machine determines the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. The Excavating Machine Operator repairs machines or systems using the needed tools.

The Excavating Machine Operator must be able to determine causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it. The Excavating Machine Operator is responsible for teaching others how to do something. They must also be able to adjust actions in relation to others’ actions. The Excavating Machine Operator uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. The Excavating Machine Operator must give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

The Excavating Machine Operator needs to have the ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. He needs the ability to coordinate two or more limbs for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm while sitting, standing, or lying down. The Excavating Machine Operator needs the ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object. This includes the ability to see details at a distance. The Excavating Machine Operator needs the ability to quickly move their hand, hand together with arm, or two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. The Excavating Machine Operator needs the ability to know their location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you. They also need the ability to time their movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene. The Excavating Machine Operator must have the ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.

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