Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.

Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.

Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.

Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.

Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools.

Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.

Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.

Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists.

Remove products from equipment, manually or using hoists, and prepare them for storage, shipment, or additional processing.

Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.

Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.

Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures, and observe metal color, adjusting controls as necessary to maintain required temperatures.

Weigh or measure specified amounts of ingredients or materials for processing, using devices such as scales and calipers.

Direct crane operators and crew members to load vessels with materials to be processed.

Feed fuel, such as coal and coke, into fireboxes or onto conveyors, and remove ashes from furnaces, using shovels and buckets.

Replace worn or defective equipment parts, using hand tools.

Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, using scrapers, solvents, air hoses, oil, and hand tools.

Sprinkle chemicals on the surface of molten metal to bring impurities to surface and remove impurities, using strainers.