About This Career

Operates steam-, gas-, electric motor-, or internal combustion-engine driven compressors. Transmits, compresses, or recovers gases, such as butane, nitrogen, hydrogen, and natural gas.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Monitors meters and pressure gauges to determine consumption rate variations, temperatures, and pressures.
• Responds to problems by adjusting control room equipment or instructing other personnel to adjust equipment at problem locations or in other control areas.
• Records instrument readings and operational changes in operating logs.
• Adjusts valves and equipment to obtain specified performance.
• Moves controls and turns valves to start compressor engines, pumps, and auxiliary equipment.
• Operates power-driven pumps that transfer liquids, semi-liquids, gases, or powdered materials.
• Submits daily reports on facility operations.
• Takes samples of gases and conducts chemical tests to determine gas quality and sulfur or moisture content, or sends samples to laboratories for analysis.
• Reads gas meters, and maintains records of the amounts of gas received and dispensed from holders.
• Turns knobs or switches to regulate pressures.

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.
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• 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