Heavy Equipment Operator

Employee Type: Regular

Responsibilities

• Operate heavy earth-moving equipment such as a dozer, track hoe, backhoe, haul truck, scraper, end dump truck, and dozer in reclamation and construction activities in all aspects of mining.
• Perform trenching, erosion repair, road maintenance, oxidized overburden removal and replacement.
• Perform proper equipment startup and shut down procedures.
• Operate within acceptable range of all gauges on instrumentation panel.
• Perform all job duties in accordance with Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) law and regulations, established company safety policies, along with state and federal environmental regulations in a safe manner consistent with Mississippi Lignite Mining standards.
• Practice defensive driving and operating at all times.
• Work with other equipment in a safe & organized manner.
• Assist in water management activities, reclamation, load/haul, construction and maintenance activities as necessary.
• Do utility work and operate utility equipment.
• Assist maintenance department with routine repairs.
• Keep supervisor informed of any potential problems.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must be able to judge depth of cut by feeling lever, listening and feeling for stalling action; also understand basic mechanical workings of heavy equipment to operate properly, within tolerances as well as perform preventative maintenance and servicing on occasion.
• Must have the ability to work with GPS units in the equipment, if equipped.
• Knowledge and ability to respond to emergencies and unpredictable situations.
• Ability to recognize unsafe & adverse conditions and the knowledge to correct them.
• High school diploma or GED.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two years of experience operating heavy off-road construction equipment.

Physical Demands

Intermittent: none

Occasionally (0 - 1/3 of workday):

• Floor to waist lifting up to 100 pounds, with 75 pounds required to lift tow rope to cable hitch.
• Waist to eye level lifting up to 100 pounds.
• Bilateral carrying up to 50 pounds (2 people required).
• Unilateral carrying up to 50 pounds.
• Pushing up to 20 pounds.
• Pulling up to 100 pounds, must pull self up ladder.
• Standing.
• Work arms over head (to reach controls).
• Work bent over/stooping.
• Work kneeling.
• Work bent over/sitting (not constant, but to reach control).
• Work squatting.
• Work arms over head-supine.
• Climbing stairs.
• Repetitive squatting.
• Walking - uneven.
• Walking - even.
• Crawling.
• Climbing a ladder (12' vertical into 200 ton truck).
• Trunk rotation- standing.
• Balance.
• Shoveling.

Frequently (1/3 - 2/3 of workday):

• Speaking (communication for operation).
• Color vision (color codes).

Continually (2/3 - 3/3 of workday):

• Sitting.
• Grasping.
• Bent wrists.
• Trunk rotation-sitting.
• Vibration.
• Alternating hand movements (except truck driver steering wheel).
• Equipment/tool handling.
• Arm/elbow movements.
• Head movement/rotation.
• Hearing (communication for operation).
• Seeing (for operation).
• Depth perception (for operation).

NOTE: Cutting Edge - Replacement on grader, requires 2 people for floor to waist lift, bilateral carry approximately 10 feet. (This is done occasionally).

Schedule

Requires working 11.5 hour rotating shifts.