Conveyor Operators and Tenders
Conveyor operators and tenders control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles. They may control the speed and routing of materials or products.
Conveyor operators load, unload, or adjust materials or products on conveyor belt tenders by hand, by using lifts, hoists, and scoops, or by opening gates, chutes, or hoppers. They observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating levels and detect equipment malfunctions, stop equipment or machinery and clear jams, use poles, bars, and hand tools, or remove damaged materials from the conveyors, inform supervisors of equipment malfunctions that need to be addressed and record production data such as weights, types, quantities, and storage locations of materials, as well as equipment performance problems and downtime.
A high school degree is required for conveyor operator jobs, and most of the work is learnt in a few months from senior experienced employees. The skills required include operations and control, monitoring, problem-solving, manual dexterity and communications.
Workers may be exposed to hazardous conditions and loud machine noise, and they are required to wear personal protective equipment on the conveyor belt job mining. The earnings are commensurate to the job.
To be a successful conveyor, critical thinking, speed and manual dexterity are some desired skills.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- B.Tech Packaging Technology
Tasks
- Position deflector bars, gates, chutes, or spouts to divert flow of materials from one conveyor onto another conveyor.
- Weigh or measure materials and products, using scales or other measuring instruments, or read scales on conveyors that continually weigh products, to verify specified tonnages and prevent overloads.
- Manipulate controls, levers, and valves to start pumps, auxiliary equipment, or conveyors, and to adjust equipment positions, speeds, timing, and material flows.
- Record production data such as weights, types, quantities, and storage locations of materials, as well as equipment performance problems and downtime.
- Inform supervisors of equipment malfunctions that need to be addressed.
- Clean, sterilize, and maintain equipment, machinery, and work stations, using hand tools, shovels, brooms, chemicals, hoses, and lubricants.
- Observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating levels and to detect equipment malfunctions.
- Operate elevator systems in conjunction with conveyor systems.
- Read production and delivery schedules, and confer with supervisors, to determine sorting and transfer procedures, arrangement of packages on pallets, and destinations of loaded pallets.
- Repair or replace equipment components or parts such as blades, rolls, and pumps.
Progression Routes
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