Profession road maintenance worker
Road maintenance workers perform routine inspections of roads, and are sent out to perform repairs when called for. They patch potholes, cracks and other damage in roads.
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Personality Type
Knowledge
- Mechanical tools
Understand machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Types of asphalt coverings
Different types of asphalt covering, based on their bitumen content and composition. The strengths, weaknesses, and price points of each type. Special properties such as porosity, resistance to skidding and noise characteristics.
- Asphalt mixes
The properties, advantages and disadvantages of asphalt mixes such as Marshall and Superpave mixes and the way they are best applied.
Skills
- Transport construction supplies
Bring construction materials, tools and equipment to the construction site and store them properly taking various aspects into account such as the workers' safety and protection from deterioration.
- Pave asphalt layers
Use different grades of asphalt to lay the asphalt layers of a road. Lay an asphalt base layer with low bitumen content to provide a stable surface, a binder layer with intermediate bitumen content, and a surface layer containing the highest grade material with the highest bitumen content to withstand the stresses of road transport. Tend a paver to lay the asphalt or use different techniques and instruments.
- Inspect construction supplies
Check construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.
- Inspect asphalt
Inspect the placement of asphalt concrete ensuring that the specifications are met and no flows are present.
- Inspect road signs
Inspect road signs for signs of corrosion, outdated information, nicks and dents, legilibility and reflectance. Decide on the course of action when problems are found.
- Perform traffic sign maintenance
Install and secure road signs, and replace them if needed. Maintain traffic lights by resolving issues, replacing light bulbs and cleaning the glass covering. Control telematic systems for proper functioning.
- Work ergonomically
Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.
- Follow health and safety procedures in construction
Apply the relevant health and safety procedures in construction in order to prevent accidents, pollution and other risks.
- Guide operation of heavy construction equipment
Guide a colleague in operating a piece of heavy construction equipment. Follow the operation closely and understand when feedback is called for. Use communication techniques like voice, two-way radio, agreed-upon gestures and whistles to signal the appropriate information to the operator.
- Work safely with hot materials
Take care when handling hot materials. Wear the right protective clothing and take care not to burn yourself or others, damage equipment, or create fire hazards.
- Remove road surface
Remove an existing road surface. Use the appropriate machinery or coordinate with machine operators to assist in the excavation of asphalt or concrete road coverings.
- Use safety equipment in construction
Use elements of protective clothing such as steel-tipped shoes, and gear such as protective goggles, in order to minimise risk of accidents in construction and to mitigate any injury if an accident does occur.
Optional knowledge and skills
paint with a paint gun lay base courses keep records of work progress maintain landscape site keep personal administration work in a construction team maintain equipment carry out de-icing activities clear accident site inspect drainage channels road signage standards perform minor repairs to equipment place temporary road signage provide first aid use gardening equipment lay concrete slabs apply proofing membranesSource: Sisyphus ODB