A banksman is the individual in charge of a crane operations within a site. Because cranes may not always have great visibility of the loading area, the banksman comes in handy in the management of such activities. The banksman is also known as the reversing assistant in many civil engineering circles.

Traffic Management

The banksman is in charge of helping manage the traffic flow, movement and direction of site vehicles. By doing so, he assists and guides the crane drivers in their duties of reversing and unloading. As there is a lot of movement on the site, the banksman is an essential part of the smooth flow of operations.

Monitoring of Loading Areas

Since the banksman direct the flow of traffic she needs to ascertain that the loading area is clear of any obstructions. She will need to constantly monitor the bucket and surrounding loading areas for any underground services. The banksman faces the danger of a reversing vehicle not seeing him; therefore, there must be a safe system of work to ascertain the banksman's safety especially as they monitor the bucket and loading areas.

Loading and Unloading

The banksman is often needed in helping to load and unload vehicles or cranes, and the direction of the movement of other plant machines. At times there may be excess goods which the loaders can't effectively handle without additional assistance.