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47-2061.00 · Task explorer

Construction Laborers: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.

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This source lists 27 tasks, including 8 marked Core and 19 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 08/2020.

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27 tasks shown

Core · Task 11472 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Tend pumps, compressors, or generators to provide power for tools, machinery, or equipment or to heat or move materials, such as asphalt.

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Core · Task 11465 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Lubricate, clean, or repair machinery, equipment, or tools.

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Core · Task 11458 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Signal equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement, or adjustment of machinery, equipment, or materials.

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Core · Task 11456 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Read plans, instructions, or specifications to determine work activities.

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Core · Task 11461 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Measure, mark, or record openings or distances to layout areas where construction work will be performed.

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Core · Task 11455 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Clean or prepare construction sites to eliminate possible hazards.

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Core · Task 11459 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Dig ditches or trenches, backfill excavations, or compact and level earth to grade specifications, using picks, shovels, pneumatic tampers, or rakes.

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Core · Task 11462 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications.

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Supplemental · Task 11460 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes.

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Supplemental · Task 19838 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Perform site activities required of green certified construction practices, such as implementing waste management procedures, identifying materials for reuse, or installing erosion or sedimentation control mechanisms.

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Supplemental · Task 11457 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Control traffic passing near, in, or around work zones.

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Supplemental · Task 11469 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment.

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Supplemental · Task 11468 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Operate or maintain air monitoring or other sampling devices in confined or hazardous environments.

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Supplemental · Task 11467 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Smooth or finish freshly poured cement or concrete, using floats, trowels, screeds, or powered cement finishing tools.

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Supplemental · Task 11463 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Erect or dismantle scaffolding, shoring, braces, traffic barricades, ramps, or other temporary structures.

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Supplemental · Task 11471 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Provide assistance to craft workers, such as carpenters, plasterers, or masons.

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Supplemental · Task 11482 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Spray materials, such as water, sand, steam, vinyl, paint, or stucco, through hoses to clean, coat, or seal surfaces.

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Supplemental · Task 11481 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Raze buildings or salvage useful materials.

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Supplemental · Task 11473 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Mop, brush, or spread paints, cleaning solutions, or other compounds over surfaces to clean them or to provide protection.

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Supplemental · Task 11464 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Position or dismantle forms for pouring concrete, using saws, hammers, nails, or bolts.

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Supplemental · Task 11478 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Grind, scrape, sand, or polish surfaces, such as concrete, marble, terrazzo, or wood flooring, using abrasive tools or machines.

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Supplemental · Task 11474 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Place, consolidate, or protect case-in-place concrete or masonry structures.

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Supplemental · Task 11480 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Mix ingredients to create compounds for covering or cleaning surfaces.

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Supplemental · Task 11477 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Mix, pour, or spread concrete, using portable cement mixers.

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Supplemental · Task 11466 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Operate jackhammers or drills to break up concrete or pavement.

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Supplemental · Task 11483 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Apply caulking compounds by hand or caulking guns to protect against entry of water or air.

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Supplemental · Task 11479 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Tend machines that pump concrete, grout, cement, sand, plaster, or stucco through spray guns for application to ceilings or walls.

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

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Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.