Rock Splitters, Quarry
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Also known as:
Quarry Plug and Feather Driller, Sandstone Splitter
One of mankind's oldest and most useful natural materials is solid rock. Working in quarries, rock splitters use skills handed down through the centuries to break large slabs of stone into smaller, more manageable pieces.
This is a trade that's learned on the job from more experience splitters. Hand tools like hammers and metal wedges are used. The wedges are carefully driven deeper and deeper into the rock until it finally splits. Workers also learn how to properly mark the stone for cutting straight lines. These are the same basic techniques the ancient Egyptians used to build their massive pyramids.
Even today, with the help of modern equipment, it's still hard and noisy work. That's why protective gear needs to be worn, including safety glasses, earplugs, and special steel-reinforced boots.
The work is done outdoors in the heat of summer and the cold of winter. It requires bending and lifting, as well as working in awkward positions. As work sites become more mechanized, the need for human rock splitters is expected to decline.
But for those who love physical challenges and have excellent coordination and skill with tools, it's a job that brings its own form of satisfaction. Rock splitters can take pride in handling tasks that relatively few people have the drive, strength, and endurance to perform.
| Leadership | LOW |
| Critical decision making | LOW |
| Level of responsibilities | LOW |
| Job challenge and pressure to meet deadlines | LOW |
| Dealing and handling conflict | LOW |
| Competition for this position | LOW |
| Communication with others | LOW |
| Work closely with team members, clients etc. | LOW |
| Comfort of the work setting | LOW |
| Exposure to extreme environmental conditions | LOW |
| Exposure to job hazards | LOW |
| Physical demands | LOW |
Locate grain line patterns to determine how rocks will split when cut.
Insert wedges and feathers into holes, and drive wedges with sledgehammers to split stone sections from masses.
Mark dimensions or outlines on stone prior to cutting, using rules and chalk lines.
Remove pieces of stone from larger masses, using jackhammers, wedges, and other tools.
| Handling and Moving Objects | Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
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| Performing General Physical Activities | Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials. |
| Controlling Machines and Processes | Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material | Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
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| Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment | Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft. |
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| Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings | Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
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| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates | Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
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| Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment | Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. |
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| Production and Processing | Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. |
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| Mechanical | Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. |
| Mathematics | Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| English Language | Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
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| 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. |
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| Operation and Control | Controlling operations of equipment or systems. |
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| Operation Monitoring | Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. |
| Active Listening | Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Monitoring | Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
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| Time Management | Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
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| Complex Problem Solving | Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
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| Coordination | Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
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| Critical Thinking | Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
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