Heavy Equipment Operator

Key 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.
• Operate equipment in accordance with 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 operate at all times.
• Work with other equipment in a safe & organized manner.
• Aid in water management activities, reclamation, load/haul, construction and maintenance activities as necessary.
• Do utility work and operate utility equipment.
• Aid in maintenance department with routine repairs.
• Keep supervisor informed of any potential problems.

Required Qualifications/Skills & Competencies

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

Analysis Of 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).
• Requires working 11.5 hour rotating shifts.
• Trucks may be up to 200 ton (equivalent to 12 over the road semi-trucks) which requires climbing a ladder to access equipment (see analysis of physical demands).