About This Career

Sets up, operates, or tends machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Weighs or measures materials, ingredients, or products to ensure conformance to requirements.
• Compounds or processes ingredients or dyes, according to formulas.
• Reads work orders to determine production specifications or information.
• Observes production or monitors equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation.
• Mixes or blends ingredients by starting machines and mixing for specified times.
• Dumps or pours specified amounts of materials into machinery or equipment.
• Collects samples of materials or products for laboratory testing.
• Operates or tends machines to mix or blend any of a wide variety of materials, such as spices, dough batter, tobacco, fruit juices, chemicals, livestock feed, food products, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
• Adds or mixes chemicals or ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices.
• Stops mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and opens valves and starts pumps to transfer mixtures.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work