About This Career

Sets up, operates, or tends grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Inspects or measures finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
• Measures workpieces and lays out work, using precision measuring devices.
• Observes machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
• Moves machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings.
• Studies blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.
• Selects machine tooling to be used, using knowledge of machine and production requirements.
• Mounts and positions tools in machine chucks, spindles, or other tool holding devices, using hand tools.
• Sets and adjusts machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
• Activates machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications.
• Sets up, operates, or tends grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic workpieces.

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
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Overtime work
• Rotating shift work