5 Key Attributes Hoist And Winch Operators Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Olivia Williams

Thursday, January 7, 2016

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Adminstration

Hoist and winch operators operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.

The core tasks that hoist and winch operators are likely to carry out include:

Move levers, pedals, and throttles in order to stop, start, and regulate speeds of hoist or winch drums in response to hand, bell, buzzer, telephone, loud-speaker, or whistle signals, or by observing dial indicators or cable marks.
Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
Observe equipment gauges and indicators and hand signals of other workers in order to verify load positions and/or depths.
Operate compressed air, diesel, electric, gasoline, or steam-driven hoists or winches in order to control movement of cableways, cages, derricks, draglines, loaders, railcars, or skips.
Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.
Select loads or materials according to weight and size specifications.

In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that hoist and winch operators would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

Having a strong preference for realistic work environments. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 100%

Developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83.4%

A willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.8%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.2%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 80.6%