Hoist and Winch Operators

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.

AI: Fully automatable - Hoist and winch speed control in response to signals and instrument readings can be automated by control systems that monitor indicators and execute commands.

Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.

AI: Fully automatable - Starting hoist/winch engines and controlling cable wind/unwind is a routine control operation that modern automation and remote-control systems can perform.

Select loads or materials according to weight and size specifications.

AI: Fully automatable - Selecting loads by weight and size is routinely handled by computer vision and sensors in automated systems, so this task can be fully automated in typical settings.

Apply hand or foot brakes and move levers to lock hoists or winches.

AI: Partial - Applying brakes and moving levers can be automated or done remotely on modern equipment but many legacy systems require manual action, so full automation is not universal.

Observe equipment gauges and indicators and hand signals of other workers to verify load positions or depths.

AI: Partial - Reading gauges and verifying load positions can be automated, but reliably interpreting human hand signals in dusty, low-light underground environments is still only partially reliable for full automation.

Oil winch drums so that cables will wind smoothly.

AI: Partial - Lubrication can be automated with centralized systems and scheduled by AI, but ad-hoc oiling on diverse equipment still often needs a human, so partial automation is realistic.

Operate compressed air, diesel, electric, gasoline, or steam-driven hoists or winches to control movement of cableways, cages, derricks, draglines, loaders, railcars, or skips.

AI: Partial - AI and automation systems can control many modern hoists and winches remotely or autonomously, but cannot reliably operate all types (especially older steam/mechanical systems) in unstructured environments.

Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.

AI: Partial - Robotic vehicles and automation can move and reposition loads in controlled settings, but varied outdoor and ad-hoc manual repositioning remains beyond full automation.

Repair, maintain, and adjust equipment, using hand tools.

AI: Partial - AI can diagnose and guide maintenance, but the hands-on repair and adjustment using hand tools in unpredictable conditions remain only partly automatable.

Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials.

AI: Partial - Automated signaling (lights, alarms) is feasible, but physically assisting other workers during dynamic loading/unloading still requires human intervention in most contexts.

Tend auxiliary equipment, such as jacks, slings, cables, or stop blocks, to facilitate moving items or materials for further processing.

AI: Partial - Tending auxiliary equipment can be automated in controlled workflows, but on-the-fly handling of jacks, slings, and stop blocks in variable environments still typically needs humans.

Attach, fasten, and disconnect cables or lines to loads, materials, and equipment, using hand tools.

AI: Partial - Attaching and disconnecting cables with hand tools requires dexterous manipulation in variable conditions that robots cannot fully perform reliably yet.

Climb ladders to position and set up vehicle-mounted derricks.

AI: Not automatable - Climbing ladders to position and set up vehicle-mounted derricks requires human mobility and adaptability that AI-driven robots have not broadly achieved by 2025.