As a crane operator, your job is to maneuver machinery to lift and lower a load of equipment, products, or supplies. In this role, you help ensure the safety of the vehicle and each load, maintain your crane, perform a risk assessment before each lift, and coordinate with other employees. Cranes are most well-known for their use in construction, but crane operators also work in warehouses, mines, and transportation centers like rail yards and docks. The crane itself may or may not be mobile. In this career, you frequently use hand signals to communicate, especially when the work site is loud enough to require ear protection.