View Alert

Statewide occupation search

Sort your search results or select and compare details of two occupations. Find out if an occupation is in demand or not in demand in your local area, at Learn about an occupation.

Print

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.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

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

    Skills

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

    Abilities

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

    Knowledge

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

    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
    49920/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    24/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    790
    Yearly Projected Openings
    80

    Personality

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

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Ammeters
    • Claw hammer
    • Demolition hammers
    • Desktop computers
    • Dollies
    • Ear plugs
    • Forklifts
    • Front end loaders
    • Goggles
    • Grease guns
    • Hand trucks or accessories
    • Hold down clamps
    • Hole saws
    • Locking pliers
    • Mallets
    • Personal computers
    • Picks
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Pressure or steam cleaners
    • Pry bars
    • Pullers
    • Punches or nail sets or drifts
    • Ratchets
    • Razor knives
    • Screwdrivers
    • Slings
    • Socket sets
    • Squares
    • Tape measures
    • Track cranes
    • Utility knives
    • Weight measuring instrument accessories
    • Wheel loaders
    • Wire brushes

    Technology

    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software