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Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Operate or tend equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of industrial or consumer products. Equipment used includes devulcanizers, steam-jacketed kettles, and reactor vessels.

Related: Chemical Plant & System Operators Cleaning, Washing, & Metal Pickling Equipment Operators & Tenders Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, & Still Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant & System Operators

Industries: Manufacturing

Summary
Details

Estimate materials required for production and manufacturing of products.
Add treating or neutralizing agents to products, and pump products through filters or centrifuges to remove impurities or to precipitate products.
Observe safety precautions to prevent fires or explosions.
Draw samples of products at specified stages so that analyses can be performed.
Test product samples for specific gravity, chemical characteristics, pH levels, concentrations, or viscosities, or send them to laboratories for testing.
Read plant specifications to determine products, ingredients, or prescribed modifications of plant procedures.
Measure, weigh, and mix chemical ingredients, according to specifications.
Direct activities of workers assisting in control or verification of processes or in unloading of materials.
Inventory supplies received and consumed.
Drain equipment, and pump water or other solutions through to flush and clean tanks or equipment.
Implement appropriate industrial emergency response procedures.
Measure, weigh, and mix chemical ingredients, according to specifications.
Make minor repairs, lubricate, and maintain equipment, using hand tools.
Inspect equipment or units to detect leaks or malfunctions, shutting equipment down, if necessary.
Flush or clean equipment, using steam hoses or mechanical reamers.
Make minor repairs, lubricate, and maintain equipment, using hand tools.
Record operational data, such as temperatures, pressures, ingredients used, processing times, or test results.
Patrol work areas to detect leaks or equipment malfunctions or to monitor operating conditions.
Adjust controls to regulate temperature, pressure, feed, or flow of liquids or gases and times of prescribed reactions, according to knowledge of equipment and processes.
Monitor gauges, recording instruments, flowmeters, or products to ensure that specified conditions are maintained.
Control or operate equipment in which chemical changes or reactions take place during the processing of industrial or consumer products.
Adjust controls to regulate temperature, pressure, feed, or flow of liquids or gases and times of prescribed reactions, according to knowledge of equipment and processes.
Notify maintenance engineers of equipment malfunctions.
Make minor repairs, lubricate, and maintain equipment, using hand tools.
Observe and compare colors and consistencies of products to instrument readings and to laboratory and standard test results.
Inspect equipment or units to detect leaks or malfunctions, shutting equipment down, if necessary.
Open valves or start pumps, agitators, reactors, blowers, or automatic feed of materials.
Read plant specifications to determine products, ingredients, or prescribed modifications of plant procedures.
Dump or scoop prescribed solid, granular, or powdered materials into equipment.

Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.

Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

65240/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

31.36/hr

Currently Employed

1,340

Yearly Projected Openings

120

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

Stress Tolerance
Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Self-Control

Air dryers
Air filters
Air scrubbers
Augers
Barometers
Belt conveyors
Bi distillation units
Blowers
Bucket conveyors
Capacitance meters
Catalytic converters
Centrifugal pumps
Chain conveyors
Chemical tanks
Circulation heaters
Collection tanks
Colorimeters
Crystallizers
Deionization or demineralization equipment
Density gradient fractionators
Evaporative coolers
Extracting equipment for laboratories
Facial shields
Fans
Filtering machinery
Fire blankets
Fire extinguishers
Flowmeters
Gas chromatographs
Gas recovery machinery
Gear pumps
Goggles
Grease guns
Hazardous material protective apparel
Heat exchangers
Humidifiers
Hydraulic accumulators
Laboratory blenders or emulsifiers
Laboratory evaporators
Laboratory separators
Ladders
Logging instruments for water wells
Manometers
Metal fabric media
Pipe wrenches
Positive displacement pumps
Power buffers
Pressure sensors
Processing tanks
Reactors
Reactors or fermenters or digesters
Reamer
Reciprocating compressors
Reciprocating pumps
Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
Respirators
Reverse osmosis equipment
Rotary pumps
Rotating shakers
Safety shoes
Screw conveyor
Screwdrivers
Special hoses
Spectrometers
Spectrophotometers
Spray dryers
Standard fermentation units
Steam engines
Storage tanks
Surface thermometers
Thermocouple probes
Thermocouples
Turbine engines
Two way radios
Vacuum pumps
Water purification equipment
Water softening accessories
Welding masks

Data base user interface and query software
Electronic mail software
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Office suite software
Presentation software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

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Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders

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