Mineral and stone processing plant operators

Mineral and stone processing plant operators operate and monitor machinery and equipment for processing rocks, minerals and stone to recover refined products for immediate use or further processing.

Duties and tasks

• Setting up and operating stationary plant and machinery which grind, crush, cut, saw and slice rocks, minerals and stones according to the specifications for the job
• Positioning blocks and slabs of stone onto machines for sawing, cutting and further working
• Monitoring and maintaining the flow of unprocessed rocks, minerals and stones from conveyors into machines
• Operating washing, separating, leaching, precipitating, filtering, extracting and combining equipment to remove waste material and recover minerals
• Combining mineral ores with solvents to facilitate further processing
• Separating metal and mineral concentrates from ore and alluvial deposits by thickening, flotation, gravity separation, filtration, or magnetic and electrostatic separation
• Observing meters, gauges and control panels, adjusting valves and controls to ensure the safe and efficient operation of equipment, detecting malfunctions and assisting with plant and machinery maintenance and repair
• Examining processed materials visually or with hands to ensure compliance with established standards and job specifications, and collecting samples for testing in laboratories
• Recording information about processing completed during shifts, such as quantities, types and dimensions of materials produced
• Sorting, stacking and moving processed minerals and stone for packaging, further processing or shipping