Job Description:

• 1) Tends thickeners that separate waste solids from ore solutions or water, preparatory to recovery of metal or disposal of waste: Turns valves to regulate flow of mixture into thickeners.

• 2) Inserts indicator into mixture to measure sludge level.

• 3) Observes operation of equipment, overflow of concentrated metal solution, and flow of sludge from tank.

• 4) Breaks up sedimentation in troughs with wooden paddle.

• 5) Prepares sample of sludge for chemical analysis by weighing sample, adding acid to facilitate settling of solids, and reducing amount of sample to desired proportion in splitter.

• 6) May titrate sample and compare resultant color with standard chart to test overflow solution for metallic content.

• 7) May add chemicals to soften water in tanks.

• 8) May fill out forms for scale readings and details of malfunctions.

• 9) May be designated according to kind of materials separated as Red-Mud Thickener Operator; Tailing-Thickener Operator.