Street sweeper

Street sweepers operate sweeping equipment and machinery to remove waste, leaves or debris from streets. They maintain records of sweeping operations and maintain, clean and perform minor repairs to the equipment used.

The duties of a street sweeper include:

• Operating specialized vehicles, including street sweepers, dump trucks, snowplows, skid steer loaders, and tractors.
• Filling the street sweeper’s water tanks and operating rotary brushes and water spray controls.
• Exercising caution when operating in confined spaces and congested streets.
• Clearing trash, debris, snow, and contaminants from streets and curbs.
• Securely fastening vehicle attachments such as brush hogs and hydraulic hoses.
• Maintaining street sweeper vehicles and equipment by performing standard checks.
• Reporting any incidents or mechanical failures to management.
• Adhering to traffic safety regulations by using appropriate signaling and signage.
• Maintaining accurate street sweeper logs.
• Supervising street sweeper teams.

Street sweepers regularly inspect and maintain the machines they operate. They also perform manual cleaning duties such as picking up litter and operating pressure washers. They travel to different locations and often work outdoors in public spaces.

Street sweepers may work in shifts, including late nights and early mornings, and they may also work on weekends and public holidays.

The following job titles also refer to street sweeper:

street sweeper driver
sweeper of city streets
street maintenance worker
leaf-sucker operator
leaf vacuum operator

No formal educational credential is required to work as street sweeper. A valid driving license is required to drive specialized vehicles.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Street sweeper is a Skill level 1 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to street sweeper.

train cleaner
toilet attendant
window cleaner
advertising installer
sewerage cleaner

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of street sweeper. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of street sweeper with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

snow-clearing worker
building exterior cleaner
septic tank servicer
surface miner
V-belt finisher

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of street sweeper.

• Cleaning industry health and safety measures: Preventive and interventional methods used in the cleaning industry to maintain health and safety for all workers and tertiary persons.
• Discharge of collected waste: The procedures to be followed to discharge the collected waste safely and in the designated place for doing this.
• Local geography: The range of physical and geographical properties and descriptions of a local area, by street names and not only.
• Safe street sweeping procedures in traffic: Practices related to sweeping streets in traffic in a safely manner, respecting traffic rules and stationary places.

These skills are necessary for the role of street sweeper.

• Ensure compliance with waste legislative regulations: Implement and monitor company procedures for the collection, transport and disposal of waste, in compliance with all regulations and legal requirements.
• Manage collected waste: Move the collected debris and waste to the designated collection point and dispose it according to legal and organisational requirements.
• Use personal protection equipment: Make use of protection equipment according to training, instruction and manuals. Inspect the equipment and use it consistently.
• Carry out pressure washing activities: Use high pressure equipment in order to clean areas, surfaces and materials.
• Maintain cleaning equipment: Clean and preserve the equipment and material used for cleaning purposes in a proper state.
• Vacuum street debris: Use vacuum machinery to collect and remove waste or leaves in urban areas.
• Maintain street sweeping machine: Monitor sweeper to ensure a good operating condition by checking fuel levels, air pressure, and hydraulic systems.
• Operate mechanical street sweeping equipment: Use and adjust accordingly mechanical equipment such as vacuums, guards, sprayer or water hoses used to eliminate street debris.
• Perform cleaning activities in an outdoor environment: Adapt the cleaning working methods and procedures to the environmental conditions and adapt to weather conditions such as rain, strong wind or snow, when this affects the performance of the equipment or machinery that is being used.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of street sweeper. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Waste transport legislation: Regulations and legislation concerning the safe transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste materials, products, and appliances.
• Graffiti removal techniques: Methods, materials and procedures to remove graffiti posts from public surfaces: identifying the surface type and material to be removed, selecting a removal method and chemical substances and applying a protective coating layer.
• Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of street sweeper. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Clean confined spaces: Perform required cleaning activities in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces which pose risks to human health and safety such as tanks, wells, manholes and open ditches. Take all the preventive measures required when working in such spaces.
• Carry out cleaning of road drains: Remove leaves, litter, and other debris to prevent blockages in drains and sewers.
• Drive vehicles: Be able to drive vehicles; have the appropriate type of driving license according to the type of motor vehicle used.
• Adapt to different weather conditions: Cope with regular exposure to extreme weather conditions and hazardous environments.
• Perform emergency street clean ups: Respond appropriately to emergency cases for cleaning streets after accidents, manifestations or heavy snow fall.
• Perform cleaning activities in an environmentally friendly way: Undertake all cleaning duties in a manner which minimises environmental damage, follow methods that lessen pollution and wastage of resources.
• Handle chemical cleaning agents: Ensure proper handling, storage and disposal of cleaning chemicals in accordance with regulations.
• Perform street cleaning manually: Clean urban public spaces such as streets by manual means, using brushes, brooms or rakes, as required by the working procedures and when other equipment is not able to do so.
• Complete report sheets of activity: Keep written records of the service provided on a regular or punctual basis, with explicit hours of work performed and signature.
• Operate motorised street sweeping machine: Use motorised street sweeping equipment to sweep gutters and streets.

9613 – Sweepers and related labourers

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References

1. ESCO
2. Street Sweeper Operator Job Description – Betterteam
3. Streetsweeper operator | Jobs and Skills WA
4. Featured image: Photo by Nicolas HIPPERT on Unsplash