Chemical plant machine operators
Career Overview
Chemical plant machine operators:
- Monitor and operate units and machinery to blend, mix, process and package a wide range of specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cleaning and toiletry products
- Work mainly in chemical, cleaning compound, ink and adhesive industries
- May also be employed by chemical processing departments in other industries
Job Titles
Duties
Chemical plant machine operators perform some or all of the following duties:
- Monitor meters, gauges and electronic instrumentation on one or more chemical or formulation units, such as mixers, kettles, blenders, dryers, tabletting, encapsulation, granulation and coating machines
- Measure, weigh and load chemical ingredients following formulation cards
- Start up, shut down, troubleshoot and clean equipment
- Adjust processing machines and equipment
- Monitor reaction processes and transfers of products in conformance with safety procedures
- Take samples and perform routine chemical and physical tests of products
- Record production data
- May operate equipment from a control room or from control consoles located near the production units
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
405% Employed Full Time
54%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in a regular controlled indoor environment
- The workplace may contain hazardous chemicals
- Working with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools may be a source of injury
- The workplace may contain strong or toxic odours
- Noise in the workplace may cause distraction or hearing loss
- Personal protective equipment may be needed when working with some types of chemicals or pharmaceuticals
Career Pathways
Movement between employers producing similar products is possible for some of the more skilled operators in this group. Progression to supervisory positions or to process control occupations is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Completion of secondary school is usually required
- Completion of several months to one year of informal, on-the-job training within the company is required for most mixer and blender operators
- Completion of more than one year of formal and informal company training may be required for some operators working in pharmaceutical, explosives and agricultural chemical or in specialty chemical plants
- Previous experience in chemical products processing as an assistant, labourer or helper may be required for some occupations in this unit group
- Certification in the transportation of dangerous goods (TDG), first aid, firefighting or workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS) may be required for some occupations in this unit group
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
405Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 2.5% |
| Kootenay | 15 | 3.8% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 240 | 60.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | 2.5% |
| Northeast | 35 | 8.8% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 65 | 16.2% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 30 | 7.5% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
130Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 100 | 1.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | 10 | -0.3% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 20 | 0.9% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 0 | -0.6% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 60 |
| Retail Trade | 30 |
| Wholesale Trade | 20 |
| Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction | 10 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 10 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
