Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.

Clean and sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, and equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions. Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis. Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage. Examine samples visually or by hand to verify qualities such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, dryness, and texture. Measure or weigh materials to be refined, mixed, transferred, stored, or otherwise processed. Monitor material flow and instruments such as temperature and pressure gauges, indicators, and meters, in order to ensure optimal processing conditions. Remove clogs, defects, and impurities from machines, tanks, conveyors, screens, or other processing equipment. Set or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, and pressure. Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines, then turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials. Assemble fittings, valves, bowls, plates, disks, impeller shafts, and other parts to equipment in order to prepare equipment for operation. Communicate processing instructions to other workers. Connect pipes between vats and processing equipment. Inspect machines and equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, and leaks. Install and maintain or repair hoses, pumps, filters, or screens in order to maintain processing equipment, using hand tools. Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, and shift production, and send production information to computer databases. Pack bottles into cartons or crates, using machines. Remove full bags or containers from discharge outlets, and replace them with empty ones. Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, and hydrometers. Turn valves to pump sterilizing solutions and rinsewater through pipes and equipment, and to spray vats with atomizers.

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

Operation and Control -- Controlling operations of equipment or systems. Operation Monitoring -- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. Quality Control Analysis -- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

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).

Controlling Machines and Processes -- Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings -- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. Handling and Moving Objects -- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. 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. Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material -- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. 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. 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.