Index
Intro
Workers in this unit group operate single-function machines or machinery that is part of a larger production process to process mineral ore and metal products. They are employed in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries, uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries and cement processing plants.
There is little mobility among the various types of machine operators within the mineral and metal processing industry.
With experience, machine operators may progress to central control and process operators in mineral and metal processing.
Main Duties
Machine operators, mineral and metal processing, perform some or all of the following duties:
- Set up, prepare and adjust mineral ore, metal and cement processing machinery to carry out one step in the overall mineral ore or metal processing operation
- Operate single-function machinery to grind, separate, filter, mix, treat, cast, roll, refine or otherwise process mineral ores
- Observe gauges, meters, computer printouts, video monitors and products to ensure correct operation of machine and verify specified processing conditions
- Make adjustments to machinery as required
- Record production information and complete reports
- May assist with machinery maintenance or repair.
Employment Requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- On-the-job training is provided.
- Experience as a labourer in mineral and metal processing is usually required for machine operators.
All Titles
- agglomerating attendant, iron ore pellets
- alumina clarifier operator
- alumina recovery operator
- aluminum classifier
- aluminum electrolytic tank reconditioner
- aluminum electrolytic tank tender
- aluminum oxide controller
- aluminum pourer – primary metal processing
- aluminum powder maker
- aluminum slurry pump tender
- aluminum stretcher-leveller operator
- aluminum-briquetting equipment operator
- aluminum-casting machine operator – primary metal processing
- amalgamation process tender
- annealer – primary metal processing
- anode caster
- anode caster – primary metal processing
- anode operator
- anode press operator
- arsenic recovery operator
- asbestos dryer
- asbestos screen tender
- auxiliary equipment operator – primary metal processing
- baghouse operator
- ball mill operator
- bar-straightening machine operator – metal processing
- billet caster, zinc
- billet heater
- blast furnace tapper
- blender tender – primary metal and mineral products processing
- brick and tile crusher operator
- brine maker – mineral products processing
- briquetting machine operator
- bulk cement-blender tender
- cadmium control operator – zinc leaching
- cadmium plant operator
- cadmium recoverer
- cadmium zinc leacher
- calciner operator – mineral products processing
- case hardener – primary metal processing
- casting machine operator – primary metal processing
- cathode-stripping machine operator – zinc electrolysis
- cell operator – primary metal and mineral processing
- cement miller
- cement mixer – primary metal and mineral products processing
- cement pumping tender
- cementation equipment operator
- charge control operator
- charging car operator
- charging machine operator – mineral and metal processing
- classifier operator
- coal breaker
- coal screener
- coal separator
- coal washer
- coarse salt equipment operator
- coiler operator – primary metal processing
- coke by-products pump operator – primary metal processing
- coke grinder
- coke oven door operator
- coke oven operator
- coke screen tender
- coke-screen and coke-blender tender
- cold steel roller – steel production
- cold steel rolling mill operator
- concrete batch plant operator – cement manufacturing
- condenser setter – primary metal processing
- cone tender
- continuous drossing operator
- cooling bed operator – steel mill
- copper billet piercer
- copper billet piercing mill operator
- copper flotation operator
- copper ore slime treater
- copper-briquetting machine operator
- Cottrell tender
- crane ladle pourer
- crucible pourer
- crusher and blender operator
- crusher setter
- crushing equipment operator
- cryolite recovery equipment operator
- dental amalgam processor
- dewaterer tender – primary metal processing
- dewatering equipment operator
- diamond powder blender
- digester operator – primary metal and mineral processing
- discharge door attendant
- dross treatment operator – zinc melting
- dryer operator – mineral and metal processing
- dust operator
- dust pump operator – slag furnace
- electrolytic cleaner operator – primary metal processing
- electrolytic descaler – primary metal processing
- electrolytic tank maintainer – primary metal and mineral products processing
- electrostatic separator tender – primary metal processing
- extrusion press operator
- finisher – primary metal processing
- flame annealing tender – primary metal processing
- flotation cell tender – primary metal processing
- fluorspar recovery tender
- flux-mixing machine tender – metal processing
- foil-winding machine operator
- foil-winding machine operator – primary metal processing
- fume scrubber operator
- furnace charger – mineral and metal processingfurnace charger
- gold recoverer
- granulator operator – phosphate
- grinder and classifier tender
- grinding and flotation tender
- gypsum calciner
- hardener – primary metal processing
- heater, coke oven
- heat-treat furnace operator – primary metal processing
- heavy media separation tender – mineral and metal processing
- hot strip finishing mill tender – primary metal processing
- hot strip roughing mill tender – primary metal processing
- hydrate thickener operator
- indium refiner
- induction machine setter – primary metal processing
- induction machine tender – primary metal processing
- induration attendant – iron ore
- ingot buggy operator
- ingot finishing operator
- ingot header
- jumbo casting operator – zinc melting
- kettle charger
- kettle tender – primary metal processing
- ladle operator – primary metal processing
- ladle pourer
- ladle pourer – primary metal processing
- larry car operator
- leaching operator – primary metal processing
- lead and copper refiner
- lead caster – primary metal processing
- lead dust treater
- lead extruder operator – primary metal processing
- lead refiner
- lead wheel operator
- lead-casting machine operator – primary metal processing
- lead-melting furnace tender – metal processing
- lead-melting kettle tender – metal processing
- lead-smelting furnace tender – metal processing
- lead-smelting kettle tender – metal processing
- lime kiln operator
- lime kiln operator – mineral and metal processing
- machine drawer, wires
- machine operator – mineral and metal processing
- machine wire drawer
- magnetic separator operator – primary metal processing
- manipulator machine operator – primary metal processing
- metal annealing tender
- metal extrusion press operator – primary metal processing
- metal hardener – primary metal processing
- metal mixer – primary metal processing
- metal mixer operator – primary metal processing
- metal pointer operator – primary metal processing
- metal pourer – metal processing
- metal reclaimer
- mica crusher tender
- mica plate tender
- mica press tender
- mica sheet laminator
- mica sheet salvager
- mica splitter
- mica trimmer
- milling machine operator – mineral and metal processing
- mint precious metal refiner – primary metal processing
- mixer operator, molten metal
- molten metal mixer operator
- molybdenum flotation operator
- molybdenum leaching plant operator
- operator, anode paste plant
- operator, anode press
- operator, coke calciner
- operator, coke oven door
- operator, scrubber
- ore crushing worker
- ore dryer operator
- ore grinding worker
- ore milling worker
- ore screen tender
- ore screener
- ore separator tender – primary metal and mineral products processing
- pan tender
- peat moss dehydrator tender
- pellet press tender – primary metal processing
- pellet segregator – primary metal processing
- pelletizer, slag – primary metal processing
- pickle line operator – primary metal processing
- pickler operator – primary metal processing
- piercing mill operator – primary metal processing
- pig caster – primary metal processing
- pig iron pourer
- pipe and tube roll setter – primary metal processing
- plate roller – primary metal processing
- plate rolling mill operator – primary metal processing
- pointer operator – primary metal processing
- pot liner – metal processing
- pot tender – primary metal processing
- pourer – metal processing
- precious metal recoverer
- precipitator tender – primary metal processing
- press operator, anodes
- process assistant – zinc pressure leach
- purification operator – zinc oxide leach
- quenching car operator
- reagent tender – primary metal processing
- recovery equipment operator – primary metal and mineral processing
- red mud thickener tender
- reeling machine operator – primary metal processing
- residual metal recoverer
- residue filter operator – zinc oxide leach
- reversing mill operator – primary metal processing
- reversing rolling mill operator – primary metal processing
- rivet heater – primary metal processing
- rock crusher tender – primary metal and mineral products processing
- rod drawer – primary metal processing
- rod mill operator – primary metal processing
- roll setter – primary metal processing
- roll table operator – primary metal processing
- roller – primary metal processing
- roller plate mill – primary metal processing
- roller-leveller operator
- rolling mill guide setter – metal processing
- rolling mill operator – mineral and metal processing
- rolling mill preparer – primary metal processing
- roll-straightener operator – primary metal processing
- rotary kiln operator – primary metal and mineral products processing
- rotary kiln tender – primary metal processing
- roughing mill operator – metal processing
- salt compactor operator
- salt compressor operator
- salt crusher
- salt processor
- salt refiner
- scalehouse operator – zinc melting
- scrap metal remelter – primary metal processing
- scrap metal shredder
- scrap metal shredder operator – primary metal processing
- screen tender, coke
- seamless steel billet piercer – primary metal processing
- seamless tube roller – primary metal processing
- sheet roller – primary metal processing
- sheet rolling mill operator – primary metal processing
- sheet rougher – primary metal processing
- sink-float equipment operator – metal processing
- sintering machine operator
- slab caster – steel rolling mill
- slag pelletizer – primary metal processing
- slime recoverer – primary metal processing
- slime recovery operator – primary metal processing
- slime treater – primary metal processing
- slurry equipment operator
- slurry equipment operator – primary metal and mineral products processing
- solution operator – primary metal and mineral processing
- spiral conveyor attendant
- stack dust leach operator – zinc casting
- steel pourer
- steel roller
- steel rougher
- steel straightener operator
- steel treater – primary metal processing
- straightening feeder operator
- straightening machine operator
- stretcher-leveller operator – primary metal processing
- sulphur control operator – zinc pressure leach
- tailings thickener tender – primary metal processing
- tandem roller – primary metal processing
- tank tender
- tank tender – primary metal processing
- tankhouse equipment operator – primary metal processing
- temper mill roller – primary metal processing
- tender, coke screen and coke blender
- thallium recoverer
- thickener equipment tender – primary metal processing
- tilting table tender – metal processing
- transfer bed operator – primary metal processing
- tube drawer – primary metal processing
- tube rolling mill operator – primary metal processing
- tube straightener operator – primary metal processing
- tubing machine tender – primary metal processing
- uranium classifier operator
- waste treatment operator – metal processing
- water treatment plant operator – primary metal processing
- wet plant recovery equipment tender – primary metal processing
- wire drawer
- wire drawer operator
- wire drawer, machine
- wire drawing machine operator
- wire roller operator – primary metal processing
- wire sample former
- wire sheather – primary metal processing
- zinc cell operator
- zinc chloride separator tender
- zinc pressure leach operator
- zinc vapour condenser
Exclusions
- Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing (9231)
- Concrete, clay and stone forming operators (9414)
- Foundry workers (9412)
- Glass forming and finishing machine operators and glass cutters (9413)
- Inspectors and testers, mineral and metal processing (9415)
- Labourers in mineral and metal processing (9611)
- Supervisors, mineral and metal processing (9211)