9411 – Machine operators, mineral and metal processing

Machine operators in mineral and metal processing operate machinery to process mineral ore and metal. 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.

Profile

Index of titles

Example titles

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 paste plant 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 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 calciner operator

Coke grinder

Coke oven door operator

Coke oven heater

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

Gold recoverer

Granulator operator – phosphate

Grinder and classifier tender

Grinding and flotation tender

Gypsum calciner

Hardener – primary metal processing

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

Iron ore pellet agglomerating attendant

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 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

Molten metal mixer operator

Molybdenum flotation operator

Molybdenum leaching plant operator

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

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

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

Scrubber operator

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

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 drawing machine operator

Wire roller operator – primary metal processing

Wire sample former

Wire sheather – primary metal processing

Zinc billet caster

Zinc cell operator

Zinc chloride separator tender

Zinc pressure leach operator

Zinc vapour condenser

Main duties

This group performs 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 machinery and verify 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.

Additional information

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.

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)