Construction Laborers

Responsibilities

• Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites; operate hand and power tools of all types.
• Clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris and waste material.
• Assist other craft workers.
• Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.
• Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.
• Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.
• Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.
• Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to appropriate locations according to project plans or specifications.
• Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.
• Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes using pipe‑laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.
• Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.
• Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces.
• Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.
• Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials such as asphalt.
• Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.
• Provide assistance to craft workers such as carpenters, plasterers, or masons.
• Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.
• Position, join, align, or seal structural components such as concrete wall sections or pipes.
• Grind, scrape, sand, or polish surfaces such as concrete, marble, terrazzo, or wood flooring using abrasive tools or machines.
• Tend machines that pump concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through spray guns for application to ceilings or walls.
• Position or dismantle forms for pouring concrete using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts.
• Spray materials such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces.
• Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air.
• Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.
• Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices such as waste management procedures, material reuse, or erosion/sedimentation control mechanisms.
• Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean or protect them.
• Operate jackhammers or drills to break up concrete or pavement.
• Identify, pack, or transport hazardous or radioactive materials.
• Raze buildings or salvage useful materials.
• Place, consolidate, or protect case‑in‑place concrete or masonry structures.
• Perform building weatherization tasks such as repairing windows, adding insulation, or applying weather‑stripping materials.
• Perform construction laborer duties at green building sites such as renewable energy plants or wind turbine installations.
• Transport or set explosives for tunnel, shaft, or road construction.
• Use computers or other input devices to control robotic pipe cutters or cleaners.
• Apply weather‑stripping to reduce energy loss.