About This Career

Repairs, installs, adjusts, or maintains industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Maintenance, Installation and Repair pathway.

A person in this career:

• Repairs or maintains the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
• Repairs or replaces broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
• Cleans, lubricates, or adjusts parts, equipment, or machinery.
• Disassembles machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
• Reassembles equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
• Examines parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear.
• Operates newly repaired machinery or equipment to verify the adequacy of repairs.
• Records repairs and maintenance performed.
• Records parts or materials used and orders or requisitions new parts or materials, as necessary.
• Observes and tests the operation of machinery or equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using voltmeters or other testing devices.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• 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
• 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 involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Overtime work