All about the profession of a bulldozer driver

The labor functions of a bulldozer driver at the enterprise are reflected in his job description, however, the Labor Code of the Russian Federation does not say anywhere that it must be drawn up. Nevertheless, the judicial experience, as well as the practice of Rostrud, directly indicates that the execution of such a document can protect both the employee and the employer. Let us dwell in more detail on what this specialty is, what knowledge, skills, competencies and personal characteristics you need to possess in order to become a bulldozer driver.

A specialist in the position of a bulldozer driver is in demand in the production of railways, highways, earth dams, underground trenches for engineering networks, as well as water canals. This specialist manages a truck based on a tracked or wheeled tractor, which has a special blade blade.

Even before the start of work, this specialist studies the plan of the future structure according to diagrams and drawings in order to get acquainted with the features of soil development. In the course of construction work, this worker cuts the layers of the earth, moves and levels the dump soil, and also performs the planning of the working area, backfilling of trenches. In winter, he can do snow shoveling. The bulldozer driver also works with mixed implements: a frozen ground opener, tree felling attachments, a brush cutter and a hornbeam for clearing felling areas.

In accordance with ETKS, a bulldozer driver at his workplace must perform the following range of duties:

• transportation of various materials (fuel, rock mass, as well as snow, earth and raw materials);
• execution of planning type works in warehouses, dumps and quarries;
• leveling rocks and soil, cleaning up the earth layer;
• cleaning up and subsequent profiling of haul roads;
• stripping works;
• movement of railway tracks;
• pulling up the dump of rock masses;
• alignment of sharp slopes, bottom of the face, as well as ledges;
• loading and unloading operations and transportation of goods;
• clearing the territory from bulky debris and snow;
• loosening the surface of the earth layer;
• stacking work.

As part of the maintenance of the bulldozer entrusted to him, the driver must carry out:

• its regular inspection;
• refueling with fuels and lubricants;
• parts lubrication;
• creating a list for preventive maintenance of your vehicle;
• cleaning of the entrusted workplace and related equipment;
• maintaining all related technical documentation.

In order to fulfill the outlined range of duties, an applicant for the position of a bulldozer driver must know:

• technical parameters and operational characteristics of the serviced vehicle, motor, control mechanisms and all kinds of devices to facilitate work;
• types of mining operations, the procedure for operating a bulldozer during their implementation;
• rationing the consumption of fuels and lubricants on units with a powerful engine;
• characteristics of rocks that are found in work in the entrusted territory;
• technical capabilities of the development of rocks, as well as the permitted angles of ascent and descent of vehicles;
• the reasons for the breakdown of technical machines and the peculiarities of their elimination;
• standards for the transportation of goods of various categories at different depths of development;
• the procedure for creating a statement for the inspection and repair of a vehicle;
• types of lubrication, power supply and type of engine cooling;
• basic standards of fire and technical safety at the enterprise, labor protection rules, sanitary standards;
• basic criteria assessing the quality of the work performed by the bulldozer driver;
• the principle of operation of industrial signaling.

Good health, increased stamina and physical strength are required to qualify for the position of a bulldozer driver. A candidate for this position must have a high visual acuity and hearing, a good speed of sensorimotor reactions, and, in addition, a developed linear, volumetric and planar eye gauge. This specialist must be able to redistribute his attention and quickly switch it, he is required to have good visual memory and a predisposition to perform technical work.

Please note that there are medical contraindications that may prevent a candidate from taking the desired position. So, working on a bulldozer is not recommended for persons with pathologies of the cardiovascular system, as well as such diseases of the organs of vision as decreased acuity, narrowing of the fields, shift in binocularity, impaired color perception.

A person with reduced hearing function, problems of the vestibular apparatus, diseases of the musculoskeletal system cannot drive a bulldozer.

To operate a bulldozer, as well as a loader and a tractor, people who have a license of a tractor driver, in which several categories are indicated, are allowed.In order to operate a bulldozer, it is necessary to obtain categories C, D or E. The final choice directly depends only on what equipment the work will be carried out. Bulldozers require one of the following categories:

• Category C - involves the management of special vehicles on a wheel drive with an engine power from 25.7 to 110.3 kW;
• Category D - presents self-propelled wheeled vehicles with a motor power of over 110.3 kW;
• Category E - tracked vehicles with engine power parameters exceeding 25.7 kW.

Safe operation of a bulldozer is impossible without work experience and appropriate skills. All knowledge that was acquired in the course of study is subject to mandatory confirmation before a special commission, and the exam is taken not only at the driving school, but also at Gostekhnadzor. Many people undergoing training are not limited to one single category and receive everything at once - this allows them to multiply their chances when looking for a job.

If you plan to obtain a license and work as a bulldozer driver, first of all, you need to find a suitable educational institution, provide a package of permits, fill out an application and take a training course. As a rule, study includes theoretical and practical classes - in total, about 160 hours are allotted to them. During the training program, the future driver studies the following subjects:

• constructional features of special equipment;
• the mechanism of operation of the basic units of equipment and units installed in the bulldozer;
• workplace safety standards.

Since the work of a bulldozer driver is directly related to the safety of the driver himself and the people around him, a large block of the program is devoted to the study of the rules of first aid. In the course of practical training, the candidate receives the skill of driving a large vehicle. As a rule, these classes are held at construction sites or specially equipped sites.

The salary of a bulldozer driver in different regions of our country can differ markedly, so it is not uncommon for drivers to leave to work in other cities. In accordance with Article 64 of the current Labor Code of our country, the employer has no reason to refuse employment to a person without permanent or temporary registration. Nevertheless, this happens quite often in life - only in this case the employer tries to formally justify the refusal by any other reasons.

The realities of our time are such that getting a job as a bulldozer driver without registration and training is much less likely than that of a qualified specialist... Temporary registration will help to significantly simplify the job search, but without a documented category and professional work experience of at least 3 years, you should not count on a decent wage. A bulldozer driver should not only get a license of a certain category, it is important that he constantly improves his knowledge and skills.