Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators
On the Job
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. They may dry lumber, cure rubber, or boil soap, for example.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
- Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
- Melt metal, plastic, or other materials to prepare for production.
- Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
- Skim impurities from molten metal.
- Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
- Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
- Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
- Confer with others to resolve production problems or equipment malfunctions.
Typical Working Conditions
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- Working indoors in non-environmentally controlled conditions.
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.
- Serious consequences if mistakes are made.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Working with a group or team.
- A work pace that is determined by the speed of equipment.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
