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51-9051.00 · Task explorer

Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.

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Read the task inventory

This source lists 17 tasks, including 7 marked Core and 10 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 07/2015.

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17 tasks shown

Core · Task 4963 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.

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Core · Task 4966 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.

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Core · Task 4962 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.

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Core · Task 4965 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.

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Core · Task 4964 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.

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Core · Task 4967 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.

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Core · Task 4969 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.

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Supplemental · Task 4970 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools.

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Supplemental · Task 4976 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists.

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Supplemental · Task 4971 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Remove products from equipment, manually or using hoists, and prepare them for storage, shipment, or additional processing.

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Supplemental · Task 4972 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.

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Supplemental · Task 4974 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures, and observe metal color, adjusting controls as necessary to maintain required temperatures.

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Supplemental · Task 4961 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Weigh or measure specified amounts of ingredients or materials for processing, using devices such as scales and calipers.

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Supplemental · Task 4978 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Direct crane operators and crew members to load vessels with materials to be processed.

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Supplemental · Task 4973 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Feed fuel, such as coal and coke, into fireboxes or onto conveyors, and remove ashes from furnaces, using shovels and buckets.

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Supplemental · Task 4975 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Replace worn or defective equipment parts, using hand tools.

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Supplemental · Task 4968 · 07/2015 · Incumbent

Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, using scrapers, solvents, air hoses, oil, and hand tools.

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

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Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.