• Read work orders which describe specifications for particular jobs. (1)
• May read letters from customers, such as letters regarding monument design. (2)
• May read memos from supervisors concerning quality control. (2)
• Read information sheets from suppliers and trade magazines to learn about new products and techniques. (2)
• Read company policies, procedures and safety requirements. (2)
• Read Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) manuals to learn how to handle specific chemicals. (3)

• Read signs, labels or lists.
• Complete forms by marking check boxes, recording numerical information or entering words, phrases, sentences or text of a paragraph or more. The list of specific tasks varies depending on what was reported.
• Read completed forms containing check boxes, numerical entries, phrases, addresses, sentences or text of a paragraph or more. The list of specific tasks varies depending on what was reported.
• Read tables, schedules or other table-like text (e.g., read work shift schedules).
• Obtain specific information from graphs or charts.
• Interpret information on graphs or charts.
• Recognize common angles such as 15, 30, 45 and 90 degrees.
• Draw, sketch or form common shapes such as circles, triangles, spheres, rectangles, squares, etc.
• Interpret scale drawings (e.g. blueprints or maps).
• Take measurements from scale drawings.
• Read schematic drawings (e.g. electrical schematics).
• Make sketches.
• Obtain information from sketches, pictures or icons (e.g., computer toolbars)

• Write notes to themselves or to their supervisors to recall important production details. (1)
• Write in a log to record information such as problems with equipment or shortages of supplies. (1)
• May write a note to a customer to clarify a design. (1)
• May complete change forms to record modifications made to the original work orders. (1)
• Write work orders or contract forms to record design details and quantities of products ordered. (2)

• May prepare price quotes for customers using a price list and an hourly rate and applying taxes. (3)

• May keep track of the number of supplies for a work area, making sure there are enough raw materials each day to complete the jobs scheduled to run on the machine. (1)
• May schedule the length of time which will be required to complete each stage of multi-week projects. (2)

• May measure lengths of rebar to cut for a particular mould using a tape measure. (1)
• May weigh newly produced concrete blocks and compare the results with the specifications outlined on the work order. (1)
• May calculate the amount of aggregate, cement and water needed to fill an order. (2)
• May calculate the number of cubic metres of clay required to fill a mould and the volume of concrete needed to make a base for a stone statue. (2)
• May measure and calculate the area of a monument face, the dimensions of various types of lettering and shapes that are to be fit into that area and the length and radius of the curved lines that are elements of the monument design. (3)

• May calculate the average amount of pipe produced at the station each day. (2)

• May estimate the amount of water there is in a load of sand in order to plan how much more water needs to be added when making cement. (1)
• May estimate the length of time it will take to produce a specified number of panels of pre-cast concrete. (2)

• Communicate with truck drivers about the loads they are delivering. (1)
• Shout instructions to crane operators and labourers some distance away. (1)
• Communicate with co-workers to co-ordinate tasks and to discuss production processes. (1)
• Interact with forepersons to receive work orders and to discuss deliveries of supplies. (1)
• Interact with customers to give them quotes on jobs and to negotiate delivery times. (1)
• Talk to suppliers to get information about new products. (2)

• May find that too much water has been added to a batch. They add amounts of dry material to adjust the consistency. (1)
• May find that a mix appears to be the wrong consistency, even though the computer readout does not indicate a problem. They investigate possible causes, such as water from wet rock causing too great an increase in the water volume in the mix. This kind of problem must be solved because products made with concrete containing too much water can fall apart. (2)
• May have the overhead hoist lose power. They look for causes, such as a blown fuse or too much exposure to concrete spray. They either fix the hoist themselves, call a mechanic or send it back to the construction rental firm. (2)
• May be asked to create a monument on a different type of stone than they have used in the past. They consider how the difference in colour and surface porosity will affect the end result. They look for examples of designs which others have used on this type of stone, and may do some preliminary tests before beginning the job. (3)

• May decide what tools to use to polish a substance such as marble. (1)
• May decide on the priority of the forms to be poured each day. (2)
• May decide when a batch of concrete is ready to be poured, based on its moisture and consistency. (2)
• May decide what supplies to order based on both present and upcoming jobs. (2)
• May decide whether to accept or reject a stone from a supplier which has streaks or a crumbly surface. If a faulty product is accepted, products could chip or erode and may have to be re-made. (2)

Critical Thinking information was not collected for this profile.

Concrete, clay and stone forming operators receive general work orders from foremen or lead hands and then do their own planning of how to carry out the tasks within the scheduled deadlines. Their work follows a routine. They co-ordinate their tasks with crane operators and labourers who are responsible for moving and stowing raw materials and finished products. Interruptions in the rhythm of the work may take place due to the arrival of rush orders. In addition, operators may need to modify their work plan to respond to unanticipated problems, such as breakage of a piece of stone or marble they are working on or breakdown of machinery.

• Remember the volume of concrete required for each type of mould.
• Remember specifications and tolerances of products they make frequently, such as those for concrete pipes of various sizes.
• Memorize the amount of rebar reinforcement needed for different types of products.

• May look at computer screens to get information on a concrete mix in progress. (1)
• Refer to manuals for information on concrete technology. (2)
• May do library research to locate symbols, designs and patterns which customers may want carved on monuments. (3)

• Use other computer applications. For example, they may use a computer-controlled batch plant system to monitor and control the concrete making process. (1)
• They may use a graphics program to design stencils to apply to monument stones. (2)

Concrete, clay and stone forming operators mainly work independently. They may work with a partner to strip forms or move heavy stones. They are part of a team which includes foremen, other operators, crane operators and labourers. Several operators may work on the same product at different times, with one making designs, another sandblasting and yet another finishing and polishing.

Concrete, clay and stone forming operators continue to learn through on-the-job training and experience and through reading manuals and trade magazines. They may take courses occasionally to learn more about concrete or about forklift operation.