How to become a Hoist and Winch Operator 2024

Hoist and Winch Operator Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.

Hoist and Winch Operator is Also Know as

In different settings, Hoist and Winch Operator is titled as

Hoist Operator
Hoistman
Material Handler
Service Operator
Winch Derrick Operator

Education and Training of Hoist and Winch Operator

Hoist and Winch Operator is categorized in Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Hoist and Winch Operator

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Education Required for Hoist and Winch Operator

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Degrees Related to Hoist and Winch Operator

Training Required for Hoist and Winch Operator

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Hoist and Winch Operator in different industries are

What Do Hoist and Winch Operator do?

Move levers, pedals, and throttles 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 to verify load positions or depths.
Operate compressed air, diesel, electric, gasoline, or steam-driven hoists or winches 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.
Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials.
Attach, fasten, and disconnect cables or lines to loads, materials, and equipment, using hand tools.
Apply hand or foot brakes and move levers to lock hoists or winches.
Oil winch drums so that cables will wind smoothly.
Climb ladders to position and set up vehicle-mounted derricks.
Repair, maintain, and adjust equipment, using hand tools.
Tend auxiliary equipment, such as jacks, slings, cables, or stop blocks, to facilitate moving items or materials for further processing.

Qualities of Good Hoist and Winch Operator

Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.

Tools Used by Hoist and Winch Operator

Adjustable wrench sets
Bulk weighing systems
Conveyor belt systems
Electric hoists
Electric winches
Elevating platforms
Fork-grapples
Gas powered hoists
Grease dispensing guns
Hoisting cables
Lifting slings
Load clamps
Oil dispensing cans
Pallet jacks
Pickup trucks
Pneumatic hoists
Power hoists
Skid steers
Stepladders
Stop blocks
Tracked excavators
Tracked forklifts
Warehouse hand trucks

Technology Skills required for Hoist and Winch Operator

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word

US Universities

How to become Hoist and Winch Operator in 2024