Becoming a Waterside Worker in Queensland

About this role

Waterside Workers transfer cargo between ships and other forms of transport or storage facilities.

What you might do day-to-day in this job

Typical tasks for a Waterside Worker include:

• receiving instructions by radio telephone and/or radio data terminal to load, unload or move cargo
• securing and releasing mooring lines of ships
• opening and closing ship hatches
• transferring loads using moving equipment and directing equipment operations using communication systems
• stacking cargo on pallets, trays, flats and slings to facilitate transfer to and from ships
• operating heavy vehicles and machinery, such as straddle carriers, fork-lifts and ships' cranes, to load and unload cargo from trucks, ships and rail transport services
• sorting cargo before loading and unloading
• labelling goods with customers' details and destinations
• loading goods into trucks, containers and rail wagons, and securing loads
• assisting to tie down loads and covering them with tarpaulins
• guiding truck drivers into loading bays and through confined spaces
• performing clerical functions to record and check cargo on arrival, storage and dispatch
• positioning goods in the holds of ships and securing cargo to prevent shifting during voyages
• packing containers and re-packing damaged containers
• cleaning out ships' tanks and holds
• washing out containers and carrying out other general yard duties such as shunting on the railway
• arranging for damaged containers of hazardous material to be quarantined
• carrying out safety checks.