Another reason that someone might appear to be "just standing around" is that they're acting as the spotter for the operator. This is a pretty critical role. Th

Another reason that someone might appear to be "just standing around" is that they're acting as the spotter for the operator. This is a pretty critical role. There are many things buried in most places, both documented and not. When you're going to dig a hole, at least in the US (and I'm sure other places have similar processes) you're supposed to notify mark the site in advance, and any owners of buried "things" are supposed to come out and mark them before you start digging. Now whether these thing (pipes, cables, etc.) are marked or not, someone needs to be keeping an eye on the hole. The operator typically doesn't have great visibility into the hole, and it's the spotter's job to keep a close watch on what's going on. If the spotter sees anything (sand, caution tape, PVC, etc.) they'll communicate with the operator using hand signals to provide increased precision of operation for delicate work, or frequently send the machine out and hand dig over/around whatever may be in there. Until then, the spotter may just be "standing around"