Job Description:

• 1) Tends equipment units or semiautomatic system that processes chemical substances into industrial or consumer products, such as detergents, emulsifiers, salts, bleaching agents, acids, and synthetic resins: Dumps specified amounts of solid materials into heating vessels or blending tanks; and turns valves to feed liquid and gaseous materials through equipment units, or sets controls in specified sequence on control panel to start automatic feed.

• 2) Turns valves or moves controls to maintain system at specified temperature, pressure, and vacuum levels.

• 3) Observes chemical reactions; monitors gauges, signals, and recorders; and receives notification from control laboratory, supervisor, or other workers to make specified operating adjustments.

• 4) Draws samples of products for laboratory analysis.

• 5) Maintains log of gauge readings and shift production.

• 6) May perform chemical tests on product to ensure conformance with specifications, using standard test equipment, materials, and procedure.

• 7) May be designated according to substance processed as Low-Chloride Soda Operator; Salt-Plant Operator; Sodium-Methylate Operator; equipment tended as Styrene-Dehydration-Reactor Operator; Tower Operator II; or reaction produced as Emulsification Operator; Precipitation Equipment Tender.