Road Worker

   Government and Defence

Menu

Road Traffic Controller

Related Jobs or Working with these Jobs

 

Practical or MechanicalSkill Level 1

Road workers compact, level and spread materials to form roads and footpaths, perform minor repairs to damaged surfaces, maintain bridges and repair signs and guideposts. Road workers also undertake general roadside maintenance such as grass cutting, weed control and litter collection. Future Growth StrongCivil construction workers compact, level and spread materials to form roads and footpaths, perform minor repairs to damaged surfaces, maintain bridges, and repair signs and guideposts.

Road workers pave and maintain roads and other surfaces such as runways, parking areas and pathways. They remove topsoil from road areas, lay bitumen and concrete, apply gravel, stone chips or asphalt to tar surfaces, dig up road surfaces to lay cables or pipes, and compact and smooth road surfaces. They also direct traffic through construction areas, clean work areas, and load and unload equipment into and out of vehicles. They also construct and dismantle safety barricades around work sites.

Civil construction workers may work as members of a small roadwork team.

ANZSCO ID: 8215

Alternative names: Civil Construction Worker, Road Infrastructure Worker, Paving & Surfacing Labourer,

Specialisations: With experience and sometimes further training, it is possible to progress to more specialised tasks and/or supervisory positions.

  • Road construction: mix and lay compacting gravel, and operate paving machines to spread stone chips, gravel or asphalt on road surfaces to construct sealed roads.
  • Road maintenance: repair and replace roadside furniture, patch potholes, as well as maintain drains and sealed roads.
  • Bridge and construction maintenance: the installation, construction and maintenance of concrete bridges.
  • Pipe laying: the installation of pipe lines for water, sewerage or storm water.

 

   
Knowledge, skills and attributes

  • enjoy practical and outdoor work
  • physically fit
  • good hand-eye coordination
  • able to work as part of a team.

Road worker
(Source: The Times UK)

Duties and Tasks

Road workers may perform the following tasks:

  • clear scrub, strip grass and remove topsoil
  • assist with preparation for laying drains
  • spread gravel to form the road base
  • operate tank-truck distributor or hose to spray tar, road oils and emulsions on the road before surfacing
  • operate paving machines or spread stone chips, gravel or asphalt onto road surfaces
  • erect and dismantle barricades and construction signs
  • direct traffic through the construction area
  • sweeping paving bases prior to laying asphalt and other surfaces
  • sprinkling and brushing hot and cold-mix asphalt over surfaces to be paved and repaired to bond asphalt toppings to bases
  • operating tank-truck distributors and hoses to spray tar and road oils and emulsions on graded surfaces prior to paving
  • tripping tail-gate levers to discharge hot-mix asphalt into paving machines, and spreading stone chips, gravel and cold-mix asphalt onto road surfaces
  • shovelling asphalt mix into areas inaccessible to paving machines, and compacting mix using rakes and hand tampers
  • cutting and trimming damaged surfaces using jack-hammers and softening edges of areas to be repaired with blowtorches
  • erecting and dismantling barricades
  • loading and unloading equipment, and cleaning work sites
  • may direct traffic
  • load and unload equipment and clean the worksite
  • calculate the quantities for ordering materials
  • landscape surrounding areas with trees and grass seed.


Road workers Darwin
Road Workers - Tiger Brennan Drive Darwin
(Source: ABC)

Working conditions

Road workers may work as members of a small roadwork team. Road workers work on roads, highways, bridges and other structures designed for vehicular traffic, as well as on the sites of new roads or pathways. They are required to work in most weather conditions. They usually work regular hours, but may be required to work at night to reduce the impact on traffic conditions. They are often required to travel locally to building sites, and may work on a different site every day. Conditions may be hazardous and road workers are often required to work within strict safety guidelines.

Tools and technologies

Road workers use a range of specialist roadworking equipment such as rollers, paving machines and drills, as well as shovels, rakes and specialised surveying equipment. They work with materials such as bitumen, concrete and gravel, and use heavy vehicles such as trucks, graders and bulldozers. They are usually required to wear high-visibility clothing and safety equipment such as earmuffs, goggles, hard-hats and work boots.


Education and training/entrance requirements

You can work as a Road Worker without formal qualifications. However, entry into this occupation may be improved by obtaining a qualification in civil construction or a related area. To become a civil construction worker you usually have to complete a traineeship in Civil Construction, Bituminous Surfacing or Civil Foundations.

The Certificate II in Civil Construction is offered at TAFE colleges and other registered training organisations throughout Australia. You can also undertake a traineeship in bituminous surfacing (level 2 or level 3), civil construction (level 2 or level 3), road construction and maintenance (level 3), road marking (level 3) or traffic management (level 3). The traineeships usually take 12 to 24 months to complete. The civil construction (level 2) traineeship is available as a school-based traineeship.

Road Worker

Air Force Officer

WHS Officer

Electorate Officer

Park Ranger

Prison Officer

Fisheries Officer

Postal Worker

Local Government Inspector

Biosecurity Officer

Border Force Officer

Naval Officer

Army Officer

Parliamentarian

Urban and Regional Planner

Police Officer

Community Corrections

Diplomat

Public Servant

Coroner

Primary Products Inspector

Tourist Information Officer

Transport Services Officer

Meteorologist

Emergency Disaster Planner

Animal Control Officer

Building Inspector

Railway Infrastructure Worker

Weights and Measures Inspector

Patents Examiner

Intelligence Analyst

Harbour Master

Fire Behaviour Analyst

Air Force Officer

WHS Officer

Electorate Officer

Park Ranger

Prison Officer

Fisheries Officer

Postal Worker

Local Government Inspector

Biosecurity Officer

Border Force Officer

Naval Officer

Road Worker

Army Officer

Parliamentarian

Urban and Regional Planner

Police Officer

Community Corrections

Diplomat

Public Servant

Coroner

Primary Products Inspector

Tourist Information Officer

Transport Services Officer

Meteorologist

Emergency Disaster Planner

Animal Control Officer

Building Inspector

Railway Infrastructure Worker

Weights and Measures Inspector

Patents Examiner

Intelligence Analyst

Harbour Master

Fire Behaviour Analyst

Air Force Officer

WHS Officer