Mechanics' helpers assist workers who repair motor vehicles, industrial machinery, and electrical, electronic, and other equipment. Construction craft laborers provide much of the routine physical labor at highway, building, and demolition sites. They supply tools, materials, and equipment to carpenters, electricians, plasterers, masons, painters, plumbers, roofers, and other construction trades workers. They dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, and clean up rubble and debris. In addition to working on building and transportation projects, construction craft laborers work on other projects, such as hazardous waste cleanup and asbestos and lead abatement.
Some laborers have job titles that indicate the work they do.
Tenders for bricklayers and plasterers, for example, mix and supply materials, set up and move scaffolding, and provide other services. Hand packers and packagers manually package or wrap materials. They may inspect items for defects, label cartons and stamp information on products, keep records of items packed, and stack packages on loading docks. Machine feeders and offbearers feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers. Attendants collect payment for services and supplies.