Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families		Classification Programs Division
Release Date:  August 2001		Section Thirty-five of Sixty-six

    3500 - GENERAL SERVICES AND SUPPORT WORK FAMILY   

This job family includes occupations not specifically covered by another family that require little or no specialized training or work experience to enter. These occupations usually involve work such as moving and handling materials (e.g., loading, unloading, digging, hauling, hoisting, carrying, wrapping, mixing, pouring, spreading); washing and cleaning laboratory apparatus, cars, and trucks, etc; cleaning and maintaining living quarters, hospital rooms and ward, office buildings, grounds, and other areas; and doing other general maintenance work by hand or using common handtools and power equipment. They may involve heavy or light physical work and various skill levels. Skills are generally learned through job experience and instruction from supervisors or, in some instances, formal training programs lasting a few days or weeks or longer.

Throughout the following information, an asterisk (*) stands for series with a published standard and a double asterisk (**) stands for series with a published flysheet.

Occupations in this family are:

3502 Laboring *

This occupation includes jobs that require mainly physical abilities and effort in doing laboring duties involving little or no specialized skill or prior work experience. Typical of this occupation are such duties as: loading and unloading trucks and boxcars; moving furniture, supplies, etc., by hand or handtruck; digging ditches; mowing lawns; washing cars; etc. Such jobs are found in a wide variety of work situations such as road maintenance, railroad maintenance, ground maintenance, warehouses, shops, etc.

3511 Laboratory Working *

This occupation includes jobs requiring ability to clean, prepare for sterilization, sterilize, and assemble laboratory and hospital glassware, instruments, and related items. This work includes such tasks as sorting and loading items into washing machine baskets; operating washing machines, sterilizers, water stills, and centrifuges; preparing flasks, beakers, vials, test tubes, and dishes by capping, corking, plugging, and wrapping; assembling special purpose apparatus by arranging and connecting various types and sizes of glassware, instruments, tubings, adapters, connectors, etc., into a composite unit.

3513 Coin/Currency Checking

This occupation includes jobs involved in visually examining: (1) finished coins and medals for finish, appearance, discoloration, missing letters, etc., or (2) U.S. currency, stamps, bonds, and other paper securities and documents to detect imperfections.

3515 Laboratory Support Working

This occupation includes jobs involved in performing manual work in laboratories, clinics, etc., in support of educational, research, or similar activities. Work includes such tasks as preparing samples by measuring, grinding, drying, sieving, chopping, and mixing materials and solutions; transporting, setting up, dismantling, and arranging models, exhibits, equipment, and supplies; checking equipment for proper operation; and operating and making minor repairs to auxiliary equipment such as water stills, electric power distribution panels, pH meters, and spectrophoto-meter. Does not include jobs that primarily require technical knowledge of the biological or agricultural sciences, physical sciences, medicine, or other scientific activities.

3543 Stevedoring

This occupation includes jobs involved in operating winches and in working under ship's tackle or dockside or floating cranes to load and unload ships, barges, and other vessels; transporting materials between dockside or lighter and ship's deck or hold; and performing necessary rigging, lashing, and stowing.

3546 Railroad Repairing *

This occupation includes jobs involved in installing, removing, aligning, maintaining, and repairing rails, ties, ballast, switches, frogs, joints, and other parts of railroad tracks and roadbeds, using hand operated power tools and other manually operated equipment. The work requires a knowledge of the layout and maintenance requirements of tracks, roadbeds, and their parts, and ability to find and repair defects in them using specialized railroad maintenance equipment.

3566 Custodial Working *

This occupation includes jobs involving janitorial and custodial work such as sweeping, scrubbing, and waxing floors; washing windows and walls; dusting and polishing furniture and fixtures; and emptying waste cans. Work is done by hand or with powered equipment.