Bridge and Lock Tenders

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Move levers to activate traffic signals, navigation lights, and alarms.
• Check that bridges are clear of vehicles and pedestrians prior to opening.
• Attach ropes or cable lines to bitts on lock decks or wharfs to secure vessels.
• Observe approaching vessels to determine size and speed, and listen for whistle signals indicating desire to pass.
• Record names, types, and destinations of vessels passing through bridge openings or locks, and numbers of trains or vehicles crossing bridges.
• Write and submit maintenance work requisitions.
• Stop automobile and pedestrian traffic on bridges, and lower automobile gates prior to moving bridges.
• Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges.
• Write and submit maintenance work requisitions.
• Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces.
• Turn valves to increase or decrease water levels in locks.
• Prepare accident reports.
• Perform maintenance duties, such as sweeping, painting, and yard work to keep facilities clean and in order.
• Maintain and guard stations in bridges to check waterways for boat traffic.
• Stop automobile and pedestrian traffic on bridges, and lower automobile gates prior to moving bridges.
• Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers.
• Log data, such as water levels and weather conditions.
• Raise drawbridges and observe passage of water traffic or lower drawbridges and raise automobile gates.
• Clean and lubricate equipment, and make minor repairs and adjustments.
• Observe approaching vessels to determine size and speed, and listen for whistle signals indicating desire to pass.
• Inspect canal and bridge equipment, and areas, such as roadbeds, for damage or defects, reporting problems to supervisors as necessary.
• Raise drawbridges and observe passage of water traffic or lower drawbridges and raise automobile gates.

Skills

• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

Abilities

• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.

Knowledge

• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

75920/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

36.5/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

60

Yearly Projected Openings

10

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Self Control
• Integrity
• Cooperation
• Concern for Others

Tools

• Adjustable wrenches
• Alarm systems
• Automobiles or cars
• Binoculars
• Closed circuit television CCTV system
• Counter weight bag and counterweight
• Desktop computers
• Dock rings
• Ear plugs
• Flares
• Gas generators
• Gate barrier systems
• Grease guns
• Hand trucks or accessories
• Hard hats
• Ladders
• Laser fax machine
• Lawnmowers
• Life vests or preservers
• Lifting cables
• Loudspeakers
• Marine craft communications systems
• Marine signaling systems
• Megaphones
• Multi gas monitors
• Protective gloves
• Putty knives
• Radarbased surveillance systems
• Roadway or highway lighting
• Safety boots
• Safety glasses
• Safety harnesses or belts
• Sirens
• Smoke detectors
• Snow blowers
• Snowplow attachments
• Steel bridge
• Storm lights
• Sump pumps
• Televisions
• Traffic cones or delineators
• Traffic signals
• Two way radios
• Vehicle horns
• Weather stations
• Wire cutters
• Wire rope
• X ray radiography examination equipment

Technology

• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Network security or virtual private network VPN management software
• Office suite software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software