Career Details
Career Details
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Career Details

51-8091.00 - Chemical Plant and System Operators


Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
38,100
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
34,600
Estimate
Change in Employment
-3,500
Estimate
Change in Employment %
-9.2%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Move control settings to make necessary adjustments on equipment units affecting speeds of chemical reactions, quality, or yields.
  • Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of process conditions.
  • Control or operate chemical processes or systems of machines, using panelboards, control boards, or semi-automatic equipment.
  • Record operating data, such as process conditions, test results, or instrument readings.
  • Confer with technical and supervisory personnel to report or resolve conditions affecting safety, efficiency, or product quality.
  • Draw samples of products and conduct quality control tests to monitor processing and to ensure that standards are met.
  • Regulate or shut down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel.
  • Start pumps to wash and rinse reactor vessels, to exhaust gases or vapors, to regulate the flow of oil, steam, air, or perfume to towers, or to add products to converter or blending vessels.
  • Interpret chemical reactions visible through sight glasses or on television monitors and review laboratory test reports for process adjustments.
  • Patrol work areas to ensure that solutions in tanks or troughs are not in danger of overflowing.
  • Notify maintenance, stationary engineering, or other auxiliary personnel to correct equipment malfunctions or to adjust power, steam, water, or air supplies.
  • Inspect operating units, such as towers, soap-spray storage tanks, scrubbers, collectors, or driers to ensure that all are functioning and to maintain maximum efficiency.
  • Turn valves to regulate flow of products or byproducts through agitator tanks, storage drums, or neutralizer tanks.
  • Repair or replace damaged equipment.
Supplemental
  • Direct workers engaged in operating machinery that regulates the flow of materials and products.
  • Calculate material requirements or yields according to formulas.
  • Gauge tank levels, using calibrated rods.
  • Defrost frozen valves, using steam hoses.
  • Supervise the cleaning of towers, strainers, or spray tips.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Production and Processing
  • 74%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Chemistry
  • 74%
    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.
 Mechanical
  • 72%
    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
 English Language
  • 70%
    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
  • 67%
    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.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 62%
    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.
 Mathematics
  • 57%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Education and Training
  • 52%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 51%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Tanks and cylinders and their accessories
  • Agitator tanks
  • Blending vessels
  • Chemical reactor vessels
  • Converter vessels
  • Hoppers
  • Mixing tanks
  • Neutralizer tanks
  • Soap-spray storage tanks
  • Storage drums
 Cooling equipment and parts and accessories
  • Air conditioning systems
  • Cooling towers
 Air circulation and parts and accessories
  • Axial flow fans
  • Centrifugal fans
  • Industrial fans
 Conveyors and accessories
  • Belt conveyors
  • Bucket elevators
  • Chain conveyors
  • Conveyor feeders
  • Screw conveyors
 Boilers
  • Boilers
 Indicating and recording instruments
  • Bourdon tubes
  • Pressure gauges
  • Radiographic detecting instruments
 Compressors
  • Centrifugal compressors
  • Reciprocating compressors
 Pumps
  • Centrifugal pumps
  • Positive displacement pumps
  • Reciprocating pumps
  • Rotary pumps
 Water treatment and supply equipment
  • Collectors
  • Effluent treatment systems
 Distribution and control centers and accessories
  • Control boards
  • Panel lights
  • Panelboards
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
 Temperature and heat measuring instruments
  • Digital surface thermometers
  • Recording calorimeters
  • Thermocouple temperature probes
  • Thermocouples
 Computer displays
  • Display screens
 Fire fighting equipment
  • Fire extinguishers
 Hydraulic tools
  • Hydraulic accumulators
 Fluid mechanics equipment
  • Manometers
  • Viscometers
 Safety apparel
  • Personal protective equipment
 Industrial refrigerators
  • Refrigeration systems
 Hoses
  • Steam hoses
 Engines
  • Steam turbines
 Separators
  • Wet scrubbers
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Industry specific software
  • Alarm management system software
  • Distributed control system DCS
  • Interlock shutdown systems
 Security and protection software
  • Coordinated incident management system CIMS software
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
FastForward at Virginia's Community Colleges is a short-term training program for high-demand industries, like healthcare, information technology, and skilled trades and infrastructure, helping Virginians get the jobs and salaries they need. Our goal is to get you trained, help you earn your certification, and get you into a career that can support you and your family. Explore the latest training program offerings by visiting FastForward
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific certifications are listed for this career
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Mountain Empire Community College
Randolph-Macon College