National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0
7 - Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
This broad category comprises middle management occupations in trades, transportation and equipment, as well as occupations such as technical trades and transportation officers and controllers; general trades; mail and message distribution, other transport equipment operators and related maintenance workers; and helpers and labourers and other transport drivers, operators and labourers.
73 - General trades
This major group comprises general trades. These occupations come with Training, Education, Experience and Responsibility (TEER) identified as TEER 3. Occupations classified in TEER 3, as those included in this group with a 3 as the second digit of their code, typically require completion of a post-secondary education program of less than two years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or completion of an apprenticeship training program of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience with some secondary school education; or the accumulation of several years of experience in a related occupation found in TEER 4, when applicable (TEER 4 includes occupations with a 4 as a second digit in their code).
734 - Operators, drillers and blasters
This sub-major group comprises operators, drillers and blasters, including heavy equipment operators; printing press operators; and drillers and blasters in surface mining, quarrying and construction.
7340 - Operators, drillers and blasters
This minor group comprises operators, drillers and blasters, including heavy equipment operators (except cranes); printing press operators; and drillers and blasters in surface mining, quarrying and construction. They are employed by construction companies, heavy equipment contractors and pipeline, logging, cargo-handling, mining and quarrying companies; drilling and blasting and drilling contractors (except for water wells, underground mining production, and oil and gas well drillers); municipal, provincial and federal public works departments and private contractors under contract with government public works departments; commercial printing companies; newspapers, magazines, and other publishing companies; and establishments in the public and private sectors that have in-house printing departments.
73400 - Heavy equipment operators
Heavy equipment operators operate heavy equipment used in the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, airports, gas and oil pipelines, tunnels, buildings and other structures; in surface mining and quarrying activities; and in material handling work. They are employed by construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments and pipeline, logging, cargo-handling and other companies. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Illustrative example(s)
- backhoe operator
- bulldozer operator
- excavator operator
- gradall operator
- grader operator
- heavy equipment operator
- heavy equipment operator apprentice
- loader operator - construction
- side boom tractor operator
- surface mining equipment operator
Inclusion(s)
- marine railway operator
Exclusion(s)
- Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews (See 72021 Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews)
- Crane operators (See 72500 Crane operators)
- Forklift operator (See 75101 Material handlers)
- Industrial truck operator (See 75101 Material handlers)
- Logging machinery operators (See 83110 Logging machinery operators)
- Underground production and development miners (See 83100 Underground production and development miners)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Operate heavy equipment such as backhoes, bulldozers, loaders and graders to excavate, move, load and grade earth, rock, gravel or other materials during construction and related activities
- Operate bulldozers or other heavy equipment to clear brush and stumps prior to logging activities and to build roads at logging and surface mining sites
- Operate heavy equipment with pile driver head to drive piling into earth to provide support for buildings, bridges or other structures
- Operate heavy dredging equipment to deepen waterways or reclaim earth fill
- Operate heavy paving and surfacing equipment to lay, spread or compact concrete, asphalt and other surface materials during highway and road construction
- Operate power shovels to excavate rock, ore or other materials from open-pit mines, strip mines, quarries or construction pits
- Operate heavy equipment to move, load and unload cargo
- Conduct pre-operational checks on equipment and clean, lubricate and refill equipment.
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education is required.
- Completion of a one- to two-year apprenticeship program
or
Some high school, college or industry courses in heavy equipment operating combined with on-the-job training are required. - Trade certification for heavy equipment operator (dozer, excavator, tractor-loader-backhoe) is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario.
- Internal company certification may be required by some employers.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified heavy equipment operators upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Additional information
- Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
- The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
73401 - Printing press operators
Printing press operators set up and operate sheet and web-fed presses to print text, illustrations and designs on a wide variety of materials such as paper, plastic, glass, leather and metal. They are employed by commercial printing companies; newspapers, magazines, and other publishing companies; and establishments in the public and private sectors that have in-house printing departments. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Illustrative example(s)
- apprentice pressman/woman
- assistant pressman/woman
- first pressman/woman
- flexographic press operator
- offset press operator
- printing press operator
- rotogravure pressman/woman - printing
Exclusion(s)
- Colour and large copier operator (See 94150 Plateless printing equipment operators)
- Laser printer operator (See 94150 Plateless printing equipment operators)
- Printing machine operator (See 94150 Plateless printing equipment operators)
- Screen printing artisan (See 53124 Artisans and craftspersons)
- Supervisors, printing and related occupations (See 72022 Supervisors, printing and related occupations)
- Textile printer (See 94130 Textile fibre and yarn, hide and pelt processing machine operators and workers)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Review job orders to determine job specifications such as production time, colour sequence and quantities required, and advise press crew of these specifications
- Mount plates or cylinders and make necessary adjustments
- Fill ink fountains and take measurements, make adjustments and determine settings to control colour and viscosity
- Set up press and check samples for ink coverage, alignment and registration
- Monitor regular press runs for quality and consistency using computer control console and make adjustments as required
- Remove and clean plates and cylinders at end of press run
- Direct activities of press crew and ensure that safety procedures are adhered to.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a college program in printing technology
or
A combination of on-the-job training and specialized high school, college or industry courses is usually required. - Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Québec.
Additional information
- Progression to supervisory positions, such as pressroom supervisor, is possible with experience.
73402 - Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction
Drillers and blasters in surface mining, quarrying and construction operate mobile drilling machines to bore blast holes in open-pit mines and quarries and to bore holes for blasting and for building foundations at construction sites. Blasters in this unit group fill blast holes with explosives and detonate explosives to dislodge coal, ore and rock or to demolish structures. They are employed by mining, quarrying and construction companies and by drilling and blasting contractors.
Illustrative example(s)
- blaster - quarrying
- blaster - surface mining
- construction driller
- driller - surface mine
- open-pit blaster
- rotary drilling machine operator
Exclusion(s)
- Blaster - underground mining (See 83100 Underground production and development miners)
- Driller - oil and gas drilling (See 83101 Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers)
- Driller - underground mining (See 83100 Underground production and development miners)
- Drilling and blasting foreman/woman - construction (See 72021 Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews)
- Surface mine supervisor (See 82020 Supervisors, mining and quarrying)
- Water well drillers (See 72501 Water well drillers)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Drillers
- Drive and operate tracked or truck-mounted rotary drilling, air-track or other drilling machines to bore large blast holes to specified depths at staked positions in open-pit mine or quarry
- Operate drilling machines to drill blast holes in rock at road or other construction sites
- Operate tracked or truck-mounted drill equipped with auger or other attachment to drill holes for building foundations or pilings
- May measure location and stake out pattern of holes to be drilled, load blast holes with explosives and detonate explosives to dislodge coal, ore or rock.
Blasters
- Read instructions or diagrams, lay out drill pattern and determine depth and diameter of blast holes and conduct field tests to determine type and quantity of explosives required
- Assemble or direct other workers to assemble primer charges using selected detonators, fuses, detonating cords and other materials
- Load explosives in blast holes by hand or direct movement of bulk explosives trucks to load holes
- Connect electrical wires, detonating cords or fuses into series and connect series to blasting machines; press handle or button to detonate charges
- Handle, store and transport explosives and accessories in accordance with regulations and ensure that safety procedures are observed
- May operate air-track, rotary, down-the-hole or other drilling machines to drill blast holes or may direct drilling of blast holes.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- On-the-job training is provided.
- Experience as a heavy equipment operator may be required for drillers.
- Experience as a blaster helper in surface mining and quarrying or construction may be required for blasters.
- Provincial blasting licence is usually required for blasters.
- Trade certification for blasters is compulsory in Nova Scotia.
Additional information
- Drillers and blasters often perform both drilling and blasting activities.
- Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
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