Highway Operator​/Maintenance Worker

Highway Maintenance Worker

This position performs labor, highway construction, and maintenance work to keep the roadways and roadsides safe and in good repair, including general maintenance of highways and bridges; performs traffic control flagging; and operates light and utility equipment and light and heavy trucks.

The following duties are normal for this position. However, they are not to be construed as exclusive or all–inclusive. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. Other duties may also be required or assigned.

• Provides positive leadership in department safety and training activities, ensures on-site safety practices are implemented.
• Performs physical labor in constructing, maintaining, and repairing highways, bridges, and rights-of-way, including shoveling, raking, cutting brush, pruning trees, cleaning culverts, patching pavements, trash and debris removal, and mowing roadsides.
• Feeds brush and trees into brush chipper operating hydraulic excavator.
• Participates in small and larger crews engaged in the construction, maintenance, and repair of county and state highways.
• Skillfully operates all of the Highway Department equipment including crawler tractors, wheel loaders, hydraulic excavators, backhoes, compactors, motor graders, road widener, oil distributor, tractor/trailers, screening plant, and asphalt paving machine.
• Grades, shapes, and contours highway surfaces, drainageways, and slopes to specific tolerances.
• Performs flagging and other work zone support and traffic control.
• Assists in the repair and maintenance of highway bridges.
• Reads, interprets, and follows construction plans and grade controls.
• Ensures work zones are properly and consistently designed, established and maintained.
• Ensures that appropriate erosion control and other environmental protections are established and maintained.
• Installs, maintains, and repairs highway appurtenances including guardrails, traffic signs, culverts, and pavement markings.
• Operates light and utility equipment, with attachments, including tractors, mowers, brush chippers and asphalt heaters.
• Operates hand and power tools, including chainsaws, shovels, rakes, wrenches, augers and brush cutters.
• Plows snow, removes ice and applies road salt, traction sand and liquid anti-icing /de-icing as necessary.
• Participates in scheduled and emergency snow and ice removal, including on interstate highways.
• Transports equipment and machinery, operating heavy-duty trucks and lowboy equipment trailers.
• Accurately completes time, equipment, and materials reports.
• Maintains assigned garage buildings and grounds.
• Safely operates assigned equipment, machinery, and tools for highway and bridge construction and maintenance; and maintenance materials handling.
• Performs daily inspection and service to equipment. Maintains records of inspection and services.
• Performs minor repairs, maintenance, and preventative maintenance to assigned equipment as scheduled or directed.
• Completes daily equipment inspection (pre-trip and post trip) reports.
• Ensures all activities are carried out in a safe manner; adheres to all County safety regulations; assists co-workers in the safe handling of equipment; ensures equipment is safely operated and driving laws are obeyed; ensures all regulations pertaining to the safe use of equipment are understood and followed.
• Reports all accidents to the appropriate authority. Follows all policies for reporting, investigating, and follow-up of equipment incidents or personal injuries.
• Provides backup assistance to other department personnel as needed.
• Maintains appropriate records including complete equipment repair history, work orders, daily job card, and other related data.
• Reports to work for after-hours needs, as assigned.
• Performs emergency repairs and works as necessary.
• Other duties as assigned.

Interprets and applies Federal, State, municipal, and Department rules, regulations, and policies.

Attends work regularly and is punctual.

Behaves professionally and presents an appropriate standard of grooming, hygiene, and dress that aligns with health and safety standards.

Conducts self in such a way as to reflect positively on the County.

Fosters positive working relationships and accepts new responsibilities.

Learns and understands the safe practices for the job being performed and complies with the safe work practices and personal protective requirements for the job

• Knowledge of construction equipment and materials.
• Ability and skill to drive and operate assigned equipment in a safe and proper manner.
• Ability to safely load, unload, and transport assigned equipment to and from job sites.
• Ability to install and maintain traffic control devices in accordance with industry guidelines.
• Ability to operate assigned machinery and equipment skillfully and safely in close proximity to vehicular traffic, grade control, slopes, trucks, other construction equipment, staff, and utilities.
• Knowledge of the occupational hazards of the work and…