Job description Handler, Heavy Materials in the Northwest Region

Find out what work is like for a handler, heavy materials in Canada. This work description is applicable to all Material handlers (NOC 75101).

Material handlers

Description

Material handlers handle, move, load and unload materials by hand or using a variety of material handling equipment. They are employed by transportation, storage and moving companies, and by a variety of manufacturing and processing companies and retail and wholesale warehouses.

Work week duration

Material handlers usually work between 35 to 40 hours per week.
Between 35 to 40 hours

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Material handlers have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • Load, unload and move products and materials by hand or using basic material handling equipment
  • Move household appliances and furniture onto and off moving trucks or vans
  • Perform other material handling activities such as counting, weighing, sorting, packing and unpacking.
  • Operate winches and other loading devices to load and unload materials onto and off trucks, railway cars and loading docks of warehouses and industrial establishments
  • Operate industrial trucks, tractors, loaders and other equipment to transport materials to and from transportation vehicles and loading docks and to store and retrieve materials in warehouses
  • Connect hoses or pipes and operate equipment to load and unload liquid petroleum, chemical or other products into or from tank cars, tank trucks or storage tanks
  • Operate equipment to dump materials such as coal, ore and grain into or to remove materials from railway cars, trucks or other vehicles
  • Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles to elevators, bins or other storage areas
  • May perform other activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory and weighing and checking materials.

Physical demands Help - Physical Demands

  • Handling material manually
  • Standing
  • Bending or twisting the body
  • Making repetitive motions
  • Walking and running

Physical demands

Physical demands are the physical activities that the job requires the worker to do. Physical demands are selected according to the likeliness that workers will have to perform them for at least half of the time they spend at work.

Workplaces and employers

Here are the typical workplaces where Material handlers are employed and some of their main characteristics:

  • Trade and labour contractors
  • Surface mine and quarry operators
  • Construction companies

Work environment Help - Physical Work Environment

  • Sound and noise
  • Skin injury
  • Standard safety equipment
  • Outside, exposed to weather
  • Hazardous conditions
  • High places
  • Dangerous chemical substances
  • Extreme temperatures
  • Vibration
  • Hazardous equipment, machinery, tools

Physical proximity from others Help - Physical proximity from others

  • Somewhat close (e.g. share office)

Work environment

The work environment refers to the physical setting in which people work. The characteristics and conditions of the work environment are selected according to the likeliness that workers will be exposed to them at least once a week.

Physical proximity from others

Physical proximity from others refers to the physical distance between individuals in the workplace. The likeliness that the job requires to perform tasks while being physically close to other people is rated on a scale with 3 levels: "Somewhat close", "Close" and "Very close".

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 75101), and a list of similar occupations:

  • bin filler
  • coal handler
  • conveyor console operator
  • forklift truck operator
  • freight handler (except air transport)
  • furniture mover
  • lumber piler - building supplies
  • material handler
  • railway car loader
  • stockpiler
  • storage worker - material handling
  • truck loader
  • warehouseman/woman

Similar occupations Help - Similar occupations

Similar occupations

This section lists other occupations that are part of the same broad occupational category as Material handlers in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These occupations involve similar core qualifications but involve different responsibilities. To see more similar occupations, use the Job Transition Tool.

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

Labour Market Information Survey
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