Crusher and Grinder Operator, Mill Operator

Also called: Abrasive Grinder, Air Bag Buffer, Air Chipper, Automatic Blocker, Automatic Buffer

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Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.

Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.
Examine materials, ingredients, or products, visually or with hands, to ensure conformance to established standards.
Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials.
Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools.
Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements.
Read work orders to determine production specifications and information.
Dislodge and clear jammed materials or other items from machinery and equipment, using hand tools.
Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes.
Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms.
Load materials into machinery and equipment, using hand tools.
Clean work areas.
Notify supervisors of needed repairs.
Transfer materials, supplies, and products between work areas, using moving equipment and hand tools.
Reject defective products and readjust equipment to eliminate problems.
Inspect chains, belts, or scrolls for signs of wear.
Test samples of materials or products to ensure compliance with specifications, using test equipment.
Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory testing.
Set mill gauges to specified fineness of grind.
Mark bins as to types of mixtures stored.
Turn valves to regulate the moisture contents of materials.
Add or mix chemicals and ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices.
Break mixtures to size, using picks.

Work Context

Work Context information for this career will be available soon.

Work Activities

Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Detailed Work Activities

Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
Operate grinding equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

English Language

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

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.

Operation Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Multilimb Coordination

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Rate Control

The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.

Reaction Time

The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.

Control Precision

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Hearing Sensitivity

The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.

Perceptual Speed

The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Category Flexibility

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Information Ordering

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Auditory Attention

The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.

Static Strength

The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

Response Orientation

The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.

Trunk Strength

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Selective Attention

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Flexibility of Closure

The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Far Vision

The ability to see details at a distance.

Visual Color Discrimination

The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

Speech Recognition

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Finger Dexterity

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Visualization

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Inductive Reasoning

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need:

Achievement/Effort

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self Control

You might use software like this on the job:

Data base user interface and query software

Data entry software

Spreadsheet software

Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheet software

Office suite software

Microsoft Office

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New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

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Crusher and Grinder Operator, Mill Operator

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