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Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Adjust, clean, and lubricate mechanical parts of machines, using hand tools and grease guns.
    • Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.
    • Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.
    • Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
    • Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.
    • Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
    • Draw samples for laboratory analysis, or test solutions for conformance to specifications, such as acidity or specific gravity.
    • Load machines with objects to be processed and unload them after cleaning, placing them on conveyors or racks.
    • Draw samples for laboratory analysis, or test solutions for conformance to specifications, such as acidity or specific gravity.
    • Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
    • Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.
    • Load machines with objects to be processed and unload them after cleaning, placing them on conveyors or racks.
    • Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
    • Examine and inspect machines to detect malfunctions.
    • Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
    • Adjust, clean, and lubricate mechanical parts of machines, using hand tools and grease guns.

    Skills

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

    Abilities

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

    Knowledge

    • 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.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • 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.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    39790/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    19.13/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    520
    Yearly Projected Openings
    60

    Personality

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

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Calibrating tanks
    • Cleaning scrapers
    • Conveyor system
    • Ear plugs
    • Floor scrubbers
    • Forklifts
    • Grease guns
    • Hammers
    • Hand sprayers
    • Laboratory stirring rods
    • Mixers or agitators
    • Pallet trucks
    • Personal computers
    • Pipe and tube cleaning machine
    • Power buffers
    • Pressure or steam cleaners
    • Protective gloves
    • Respirators
    • Safety glasses
    • Scissor lift or lift table
    • Screwdrivers
    • Temperature regulators
    • Vacuum hose
    • Vacuum truck
    • Water pumps
    • Wet mops

    Technology

    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software