Job description Patcher Operator - Wood Processing in the West Coast–Northern Peninsula–Labrador Region

Find out what work is like for a patcher operator - wood processing in Canada. This work description is applicable to all Other wood processing machine operators (NOC 94129).

Other wood processing machine operators

Description

Other wood processing machine operators operate and tend wood processing equipment and machines to remove bark from logs, produce wood chips, preserve and treat wood, and produce waferboards, particleboards, hardboards, insulation boards, plywood, veneers and similar wood products. They are employed in sawmills, woodrooms of pulp mills, planing mills, wood treatment plants, waferboard plants and other wood processing plants.

Work week duration

Other wood processing machine operators usually work between 35 to 40 hours per week.
Between 35 to 40 hours

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Other wood processing machine operators have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • Operate and tend various wood processing equipment and machines to remove bark, knots and dirt from logs; reduce logs or sawmill waste into wood chips or flakes; stack and band lumber; screen wood chips; and produce waferboards, particleboards, hardboards and insulation boards
  • Operate and tend conveyors, lathes, sanding machines and other equipment to peel and slice veneer from logs and log sections, and to glue, press, trim, sand and splice veneer sheets
  • Operate and tend kilns, treating tanks and other equipment to dry lumber and other wood products, and to treat chemically and impregnate wood products with preservatives
  • Observe equipment, panel indicators, video monitors, and other instruments to detect malfunctions and ensure that processes are operating according to specifications
  • Assemble plywood panels and repair plywood and veneer mechanically or manually
  • Start up, shut down, set up, adjust and assist in maintaining processing equipment and machines as required
  • Complete and maintain production reports.

Physical demands Help - Physical Demands

  • Standing
  • Handling material manually
  • Making repetitive motions
  • Bending or twisting the body

Physical demands

Physical demands are the physical activities that the job requires the worker to do. Physical demands are selected according to the likeliness that workers will have to perform them for at least half of the time they spend at work.

Workplaces and employers

Here are the typical workplaces where Other wood processing machine operators are employed and some of their main characteristics:

  • Sawmills
  • Wood treatment plants
  • Woodrooms of pulp mills
  • Waferboard plants
  • Planing mills
  • Wood processing plants

Work environment Help - Physical Work Environment

  • Dangerous chemical substances
  • Sound and noise
  • Standard safety equipment
  • Indoors, not environmentally controlled
  • Hazardous equipment, machinery, tools
  • Skin injury

Work environment

The work environment refers to the physical setting in which people work. The characteristics and conditions of the work environment are selected according to the likeliness that workers will be exposed to them at least once a week.

Physical proximity from others

Physical proximity from others refers to the physical distance between individuals in the workplace. The likeliness that the job requires to perform tasks while being physically close to other people is rated on a scale with 3 levels: "Somewhat close", "Close" and "Very close".

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 94129), and a list of similar occupations:

  • barker operator
  • chipper operator
  • lumber kiln operator
  • particleboard line operator
  • plywood panel assembler
  • timber treating tank operator
  • veneer dryer tender
  • veneer lathe operator
  • waferboard press operator
  • wood treating worker - wood preserving

Similar occupations Help - Similar occupations

Similar occupations

This section lists other occupations that are part of the same broad occupational category as Other wood processing machine operators in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These occupations involve similar core qualifications but involve different responsibilities. To see more similar occupations, use the Job Transition Tool.

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

Labour Market Information Survey
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