- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.
Occupations with related tasks Save Table: XLSX CSV
- Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
- Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
- Signal other workers to set brakes and to throw track switches when switching cars from trains to way stations.
- Set flares, flags, lanterns, or torpedoes in front and at rear of trains during emergency stops to warn oncoming trains.
- Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
- Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
- Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
- Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.
- Observe tracks from left sides of locomotives to detect obstructions on tracks.
- Operate locomotives in emergency situations.
- Raise levers to couple and uncouple cars for makeup and breakup of trains.
- Climb ladders to tops of cars to set brakes.
- Receive oral or written instructions from yardmasters or yard conductors indicating track assignments and cars to be switched.
- Inspect locomotives to detect damaged or worn parts.
- Check to see that trains are equipped with supplies such as fuel, water, and sand.
- Monitor oil, temperature, and pressure gauges on dashboards to determine if engines are operating safely and efficiently.
- Inspect tracks, cars, and engines for defects and to determine service needs, sending engines and cars for repairs as necessary.
- Start diesel engines to warm engines before runs.
- Make minor repairs to couplings, air hoses, and journal boxes, using hand tools.
- Connect air hoses to cars, using wrenches.
- Operate and drive locomotives, diesel switch engines, dinkey engines, flatcars, and railcars in train yards and at industrial sites.
- Refuel and lubricate engines.
- Ride atop cars that have been shunted, and turn handwheels to control speeds or stop cars at specified positions.
- Record numbers of cars available, numbers of cars sent to repair stations, and types of service needed.
- Provide passengers with assistance entering and exiting trains.
- Conduct brake tests to determine the condition of brakes on trains.
- Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
- Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
- Signal other workers to set brakes and to throw track switches when switching cars from trains to way stations.
- Set flares, flags, lanterns, or torpedoes in front and at rear of trains during emergency stops to warn oncoming trains.
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.
- Signal workers to move loaded cars.
- Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables.
- Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.
- Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.
- Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.
- Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses.
- Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.
- Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.
- Operate levers to move conveyor booms or shovels so that mine contents such as coal, rock, and ore can be placed into cars or onto conveyors.
- Clean, fuel, service, and perform safety checks on all equipment, and repair and replace parts as necessary.
- Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking.
- Oil, lubricate, and adjust conveyors, crushers, and other equipment, using hand tools and lubricating equipment.
- Monitor loading processes to ensure that materials are loaded according to specifications.
- Measure, weigh, or verify levels of rock, gravel, or other excavated material to prevent equipment overloads.
- Replace hydraulic hoses, headlight bulbs, and gathering-arm teeth.
- Stop gathering arms when cars are full.
- Move mine cars into position for loading and unloading, using pinchbars inserted under car wheels to position cars under loading spouts.
- Advance machines to gather material and convey it into cars.
- Guide and stop cars by switching, applying brakes, or placing scotches, or wooden wedges, between wheels and rails.
- Observe and record car numbers, carriers, customers, tonnages, and grades and conditions of material.
- Read written instructions or confer with supervisors about schedules and materials to be moved.
- Maintain records of materials moved.
- Direct other workers to move stakes, place blocks, position anchors or cables, or move materials.
- Push or ride cars down slopes, or hook cars to cables and control cable drum brakes, to ease cars down inclines.
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.
- Signal workers to move loaded cars.
- Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.
- Tow and maneuver barges or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.
- Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.
- Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
- Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.
- Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
- Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.
- Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.
- Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.
- Stand watches on vessels during specified periods while vessels are under way.
- Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.
- Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.
- Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.
- Provide assistance in maritime rescue operations.
- Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.
- Signal crew members or deckhands to rig tow lines, open or close gates or ramps, or pull guard chains across entries.
- Maintain boats or equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, or life preservers.
- Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.
- Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.
- Observe loading or unloading of cargo or equipment to ensure that handling and storage are performed according to specifications.
- Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.
- Learn to operate new technology systems and procedures through instruction, simulators, or models.
- Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.
- Arrange for ships to be fueled, restocked with supplies, or repaired.
- Supervise crews in cleaning or maintaining decks, superstructures, or bridges.
- Purchase supplies or equipment.
- Perform various marine duties, such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports or harbors or patrolling beaches.
- Assign watches or living quarters to crew members.
- Interview and hire crew members.
- Conduct safety drills such as man overboard or fire drills.
- Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.
- Tow and maneuver barges or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.
- Direct truck drivers backing vehicles into loading bays and cover, uncover, or secure loads for delivery.
- Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
- Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.
- Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
- Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes.
- Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs, as necessary.
- Load or unload bundles from trucks, or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.
- Review daily work or delivery schedules to determine orders, sequences of deliveries, or special loading instructions.
- Inspect bundle packaging for conformance to regulations or customer requirements, and remove and batch packaging tickets.
- Weigh bundles, using floor scales, and record weights for company records.
- Direct truck drivers backing vehicles into loading bays and cover, uncover, or secure loads for delivery.
- Signal transportation operators to stop or to proceed.
- Secure passengers for transportation by buckling seatbelts or fastening wheelchairs with tie-down straps.
- Provide boarding assistance to elderly, sick, or injured people.
- Respond to passengers' questions, requests, or complaints.
- Determine or facilitate seating arrangements.
- Provide customers with information on routes, gates, prices, timetables, terminals, or concourses.
- Perform equipment safety checks prior to departure.
- Greet passengers boarding transportation equipment and announce routes and stops.
- Count and verify tickets and seat reservations and record numbers of passengers boarding and disembarking.
- Explain and demonstrate safety procedures and safety equipment use.
- Open and close doors for passengers.
- Adjust window shades or seat cushions at the request of passengers.
- Signal transportation operators to stop or to proceed.
- Call out train signals to assistants to verify meanings.
- Interpret train orders, signals, or railroad rules and regulations that govern the operation of locomotives.
- Confer with conductors or traffic control center personnel via radiophones to issue or receive information concerning stops, delays, or oncoming trains.
- Receive starting signals from conductors and use controls such as throttles or air brakes to drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas turbine-electric locomotives.
- Monitor gauges or meters that measure speed, amperage, battery charge, or air pressure in brake lines or in main reservoirs.
- Observe tracks to detect obstructions.
- Operate locomotives to transport freight or passengers between stations or to assemble or disassemble trains within rail yards.
- Check to ensure that brake examination tests are conducted at shunting stations.
- Respond to emergency conditions or breakdowns, following applicable safety procedures and rules.
- Inspect locomotives to verify adequate fuel, sand, water, or other supplies before each run or to check for mechanical problems.
- Inspect locomotives after runs to detect damaged or defective equipment.
- Prepare reports regarding any problems encountered, such as accidents, signaling problems, unscheduled stops, or delays.
- Check to ensure that documentation, such as procedure manuals or logbooks, are in the driver's cab and available for staff use.
- Monitor train loading procedures to ensure that freight or rolling stock are loaded or unloaded without damage.
- Call out train signals to assistants to verify meanings.
- Guide aircraft to designated areas using hand signals, batons, or other methods.
- Apply de-icing fluid to aircraft from baskets lifted by truck-mounted cranes.
- Change aircraft oil, coolant, or other fluids.
- Clean aircraft interiors by picking up waste, wiping down windows, or vacuuming.
- Climb ladders to reach aircraft surfaces to be cleaned.
- Complete forms describing tasks completed.
- De-grease aircraft exteriors.
- Empty aircraft lavatory systems or refill them with sanitizer fluid.
- Inspect aircraft components to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
- Load baggage or cargo for crew or passengers.
- Mix cleaning compounds or solutions.
- Polish aircraft exteriors.
- Radio to flight dispatchers or other personnel to discuss incoming or outgoing aircraft.
- Refill aircraft potable water tanks.
- Refuel aircraft using hoses connected to fuel trucks.
- Remove exhaust stains from aircraft using cleaning fluids.
- Tow aircraft to gates or hangars using tugs, tractors, or other vehicles.
- Wash the aircraft exteriors using lifts, cranes, detergent, or other equipment.
- Guide aircraft to designated areas using hand signals, batons, or other methods.
- Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals.
- Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.
- Receive information regarding train or rail problems from dispatchers or from electronic monitoring devices.
- Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains' routes, timetables, and cargoes.
- Direct and instruct workers engaged in yard activities, such as switching tracks, coupling and uncoupling cars, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.
- Operate controls to activate track switches and traffic signals.
- Keep records of the contents and destination of each train car, and make sure that cars are added or removed at proper points on routes.
- Arrange for the removal of defective cars from trains at stations or stops.
- Direct engineers to move cars to fit planned train configurations, combining or separating cars to make up or break up trains.
- Inspect each car periodically during runs.
- Review schedules, switching orders, way bills, and shipping records to obtain cargo loading and unloading information and to plan work.
- Confirm routes and destination information for freight cars.
- Verify accuracy of timekeeping instruments with engineers to ensure trains depart on time.
- Document and prepare reports of accidents, unscheduled stops, or delays.
- Instruct workers to set warning signals in front and at rear of trains during emergency stops.
- Observe yard traffic to determine tracks available to accommodate inbound and outbound traffic.
- Supervise workers in the inspection and maintenance of mechanical equipment to ensure efficient and safe train operation.
- Supervise and coordinate crew activities to transport freight and passengers and to provide boarding, porter, maid, and meal services to passengers.
- Record departure and arrival times, messages, tickets and revenue collected, and passenger accommodations and destinations.
- Inspect freight cars for compliance with sealing procedures, and record car numbers and seal numbers.
- Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals.
- Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.
- Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.
- Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation.
- Apply and release hand brakes.
- Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information.
- Inspect track for defects such as broken rails and switch malfunctions.
- Observe water levels and oil, air, and steam pressure gauges to ensure proper operation of equipment.
- Couple and uncouple air hoses and electrical connections between cars.
- Drive engines within railroad yards or other establishments to couple, uncouple, or switch railroad cars.
- Inspect the condition of stationary trains, rolling stock, and equipment.
- Read switching instructions and daily car schedules to determine work to be performed, or receive orders from yard conductors.
- Receive, relay, and act upon instructions and inquiries from train operations and customer service center personnel.
- Spot cars for loading and unloading at customer locations.
- Operate track switches, derails, automatic switches, and retarders to change routing of train or cars.
- Report arrival and departure times, train delays, work order completion, and time on duty.
- Perform routine repair and maintenance duties.
- Drive locomotives to and from various stations in roundhouses to have locomotives cleaned, serviced, repaired, or supplied.
- Pull knuckles to open them for coupling.
- Provide assistance in aligning drawbars, using available equipment to lift, pull, or push on the drawbars.
- Ride on moving cars by holding onto grab irons and standing on ladder steps.
- Record numbers of cars available, numbers of cars sent to repair stations, and types of service needed.
- Operate flatcars equipped with derricks or railcars to transport personnel or equipment.
- Provide assistance in the installation or repair of rails and ties.
- Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.
- Relay specified signals to other ships, using visual signaling devices, such as blinker lights or semaphores.
- Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
- Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.
- Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
- Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs.
- Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.
- Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.
- Examine machinery to verify specified pressures or lubricant flows.
- Maintain a ship's engines under the direction of the ship's engineering officers.
- Break out, rig, and stow cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, or running gear.
- Lubricate machinery, equipment, or engine parts, such as gears, shafts, or bearings.
- Lower and man lifeboats when emergencies occur.
- Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.
- Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.
- Load or unload materials, vehicles, or passengers from vessels.
- Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines.
- Provide engineers with assistance in repairing or adjusting machinery.
- Operate, maintain, or repair ship equipment, such as winches, cranes, derricks, or weapons system.
- Paint or varnish decks, superstructures, lifeboats, or sides of ships.
- Give directions to crew members engaged in cleaning wheelhouses or quarterdecks.
- Stand by wheels when ships are on automatic pilot, and verify accuracy of courses, using magnetic compasses.
- Steer ships under the direction of commanders or navigating officers or direct helmsmen to steer, following designated courses.
- Overhaul lifeboats or lifeboat gear and lower or raise lifeboats with winches or falls.
- Stand gangway watches to prevent unauthorized persons from boarding ships while in port.
- Record data in ships' logs, such as weather conditions or distances traveled.
- Measure depth of water in shallow or unfamiliar waters, using leadlines, and telephone or shout depth information to vessel bridges.
- Clean and polish wood trim, brass, or other metal parts.
- Participate in shore patrols.
- Relay specified signals to other ships, using visual signaling devices, such as blinker lights or semaphores.
