Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

• Monitor gauges and flowmeters and inspect equipment to ensure that tank levels, temperatures, chemical amounts, and pressures are at specified levels, reporting abnormalities as necessary.
• Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating times.
• Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of interconnections and capacities of pipelines, valve manifolds, pumps, and tankage.
• Turn valves and start pumps to start or regulate flows of substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials.
• Communicate with other workers, using signals, radios, or telephones, to start and stop flows of materials or substances.
• Connect hoses and pipelines to pumps and vessels prior to material transfer, using hand tools.
• Tend vessels that store substances such as gases, liquids, slurries, or powdered materials, checking levels of substances by using calibrated rods or by reading mercury gauges and tank charts.
• Clean, lubricate, and repair pumps and vessels, using hand tools and equipment.
• Read operating schedules or instructions or receive verbal orders to determine amounts to be pumped.
• Test materials and solutions, using testing equipment.
• Tend auxiliary equipment such as water treatment and refrigeration units, and heat exchangers.
• Add chemicals and solutions to tanks to ensure that specifications are met.