The Construction Laborer performs tasks involving physical labor at building, highway, and heavy construction projects, tunnel and shaft excavations, and demolition sites. The Construction Laborer may operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. The Construction Laborer may clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, clean up rubble and debris, and remove asbestos, lead, and other hazardous waste materials.
Tasks Performed by Construction Laborers:
- The Construction Laborer cleans and prepares construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
- The Construction Laborer reads and interprets plans, instructions, and specifications to determine work activities.
- The Construction Laborer controls traffic passing near, in, and around work zones.
- The Construction Laborer signals equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, and adjustment of machinery, equipment, and materials.
- The Construction Laborer digs ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, and compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, and rakes.
- The Construction Laborer positions, joins, aligns, and seals structural components, such as concrete wall sections and pipes.
- The Construction Laborer measures, marks, and records openings and distances to lay out areas where construction work will be performed.
- The Construction Laborer loads, unloads, and identifies building materials, machinery, and tools, and distributes them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans and specifications.
- The Construction Laborer erects and disassembles scaffolding, shoring braces, traffic barricades, ramps, and other temporary structures,
- The Construction Laborer builds and positions forms for pouring concrete and dismantles forms after use, using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts.
The Construction Laborer needs knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads. The Construction Laborer needs knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings and models. The Construction Laborer needs knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. The Construction Laborer needs knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair and maintenance. The Construction Laborer 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 Construction Laborer needs knowledge of the practical applications of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment t the design and production of various goods and services. The Construction Laborer needs knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
The Construction Laborer needs the ability to quickly move their hand, their hand together with arm, or two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. The Construction Laborer needs the ability to keep hand and arm steady while moving their arm or while holding the arm and hand in one position. The Construction Laborer needs the ability to coordinate two or more limbs while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. The Construction Laborer needs the ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects. The Construction Laborer needs the ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. The Construction laborer needs the ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
The Construction Laborer needs the ability to use their abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without giving out or fatiguing. The Construction Laborer needs the ability to see details at close range only within a few feet away from where they are working on a job function. The Construction Laborer needs the ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. The Construction Laborer must perform physical activities that require considerable use of the arms and legs and moving the whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.