Construction laborers can be found on almost all construction sites performing a wide range of tasks from the very easy to the potentially hazardous. They can be found at building, highway, and heavy construction sites; residential and commercial sites; tunnel and shaft excavations; and demolition sites. Many of the jobs they perform require physical strength, training, and experience. Other jobs require little skill and can be learned in a short amount of time. While most construction laborers specialize in a type of construction, such as highway or tunnel construction, some are generalists who perform many different tasks during all stages of construction. Construction laborers, who work in underground construction, such as in tunnels, or in demolition are more likely to specialize in only those areas.
Construction laborers clean and prepare construction sites. They remove trees and debris, tend pumps, compressors and generators, and build forms for pouring concrete. They erect and disassemble scaffolding and other temporary structures. They load, unload, identify, and distribute building materials to the appropriate location according to project plans and specifications. Laborers also tend machines; for example, they may mix concrete using a portable mixer or tend a machine that pumps concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through a spray gun for application to ceilings and walls. They often help other craftworkers, including carpenters, plasterers, operating engineers, and masons.
Construction laborers are responsible for oversight of the installation and maintenance of traffic control devices and patterns. At highway construction sites, this work may include clearing and preparing highway work zones and rights of way; installing traffic barricades, cones, and markers; and controlling traffic passing near, in, and around work zones. They also dig trenches, install sewer, water, and storm drain pipes, and place concrete and asphalt on roads. Other highly specialized tasks include operating laser guidance equipment to place pipes; operating air, electric, and pneumatic drills; and transporting and setting explosives for tunnel, shaft, and road construction.
Some construction laborers help with the removal of hazardous materials, such as asbestos, lead, or chemicals.
Construction laborers operate a variety of equipment including pavement breakers; jackhammers; earth tampers; concrete, mortar, and plaster mixers; electric and hydraulic boring machines; torches; small mechanical hoists; laser beam equipment; and surveying and measuring equipment. They may use computers and other high-tech input devices to control robotic pipe cutters and cleaners. To perform their jobs effectively, construction laborers must be familiar with the duties of other craftworkers and with the materials, tools, and machinery they use.
Construction laborers often work as part of a team with other skilled craftworkers, jointly carrying out assigned construction tasks. At other times, construction laborers may work alone, reading and interpreting instructions, plans, and specifications with little or no supervision.
Work environment. Most laborers do physically demanding work. They may lift and carry heavy objects, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl in awkward positions. Some work at great heights, or outdoors in all weather conditions. Some jobs expose workers to harmful materials or chemicals, fumes, odors, loud noise, or dangerous machinery. Some laborers may be exposed to lead-based paint, asbestos, or other hazardous substances during their work especially when working in confined spaces. To avoid injury, workers in these jobs wear safety clothing, such as gloves, hardhats, protective chemical suits, and devices to protect their eyes, respiratory system, or hearing. While working in underground construction, construction laborers must be especially alert to safely follow procedures and must deal with a variety of hazards.
Construction laborers generally work 8-hour shifts, although longer shifts are common. Overnight work may be required when working on highways. In some parts of the country, construction laborers may work only during certain seasons. They may also experience weather-related work stoppages at any time of the year.
| 1. | Clean and prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards. |
| 2. | Read and interpret plans, instructions, and specifications to determine work activities. |
| 3. | Control traffic passing near, in, and around work zones. |
| 4. | Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, and adjustment of machinery, equipment, and materials. |
| 5. | Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, and compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, and rakes. |
| 6. | Position, join, align, and seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections and pipes. |
| 7. | Measure, mark, and record openings and distances to lay out areas where construction work will be performed. |
| 8. | Load, unload, and identify building materials, machinery, and tools, and distribute them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans and specifications. |
| 9. | Erect and disassemble scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, and other temporary structures. |
| 10. | Build and position forms for pouring concrete, and dismantle forms after use, using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts. |
| 11. | Lubricate, clean, and repair machinery, equipment, and tools. |
| 12. | Operate jackhammers and drills to break up concrete or pavement. |
| 13. | Smooth and finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools. |
| 14. | Operate, read, and maintain air monitoring and other sampling devices in confined and/or hazardous environments. |
| 15. | Install sewer, water, and storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery and laser guidance equipment. |
| 16. | Transport and set explosives for tunnel, shaft, and road construction. |
| 17. | Provide assistance to craft workers, such as carpenters, plasterers, and masons. |
| 18. | Tend pumps, compressors, and generators to provide power for tools, machinery, and equipment, or to heat and move materials such as asphalt. |
| 19. | Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection. |
| 20. | Place, consolidate, and protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures. |
| 21. | Identify, pack, and transport hazardous and/or radioactive materials. |
| 22. | Use computers and other input devices to control robotic pipe cutters and cleaners. |
| 23. | Shovel cement and other materials into portable cement mixers; and mix, pour, and spread concrete. |
| 24. | Grind, scrape, sand, or polish surfaces such as concrete, marble, terrazzo, or wood flooring, using abrasive tools or machines. |
| 25. | Tend machines that pump concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster or stucco through spray-guns for application to ceilings and walls. |
| 26. | Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces. |
| 27. | Raze buildings and salvage useful materials. |
| 28. | Spray materials such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces. |
| 29. | Apply caulking compounds by hand or using caulking guns. |
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