About This Career

Operates or tends machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Adds specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
• Observes machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjusts controls to maintain specified conditions.
• Sets controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and starts conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
• Drains, cleans, and refills machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
• Operates or tends machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
• Records gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.
• Examines and inspects machines to detect malfunctions.
• Measures, weighs, or mixes cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.
• Draws samples for laboratory analysis, or test solutions for conformance to specifications, such as acidity or specific gravity.
• Adjusts, cleans, and lubricates mechanical parts of machines, using hand tools and grease guns.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work