Will AI Replace Chemical Plant and System Operators?

Monitor recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, or other indicators and listen for warning signals to verify conformity of process conditions.

Routine cognitive or manual task with high vulnerability to automation.

Regulate or shut down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel.

Complex problem-solving, strategic leadership, or high-empathy task requiring human judgment.

Control or operate chemical processes or systems of machines, using panelboards, control boards, or semi-automatic equipment.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Move control settings to make necessary adjustments on equipment units affecting speeds of chemical reactions, quality, or yields.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Inspect operating units, such as towers, soap-spray storage tanks, scrubbers, collectors, or driers to ensure that all are functioning and to maintain maximum efficiency.

Semi-structured cognitive task involving analysis, inspection, or monitoring.

Draw samples of products and conduct quality control tests to monitor processing and to ensure that standards are met.

Semi-structured cognitive task involving analysis, inspection, or monitoring.

Record operating data, such as process conditions, test results, or instrument readings.

Routine cognitive or manual task with high vulnerability to automation.

Patrol work areas to ensure that solutions in tanks or troughs are not in danger of overflowing.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Turn valves to regulate flow of products or byproducts through agitator tanks, storage drums, or neutralizer tanks.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Interpret chemical reactions visible through sight glasses or on television monitors and review laboratory test reports for process adjustments.

Semi-structured cognitive task involving analysis, inspection, or monitoring.

Confer with technical and supervisory personnel to report or resolve conditions affecting safety, efficiency, or product quality.

Complex problem-solving, strategic leadership, or high-empathy task requiring human judgment.

Start pumps to wash and rinse reactor vessels, to exhaust gases or vapors, to regulate the flow of oil, steam, air, or perfume to towers, or to add products to converter or blending vessels.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Notify maintenance, stationary engineering, or other auxiliary personnel to correct equipment malfunctions or to adjust power, steam, water, or air supplies.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Repair or replace damaged equipment.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Gauge tank levels, using calibrated rods.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Calculate material requirements or yields according to formulas.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.

Direct workers engaged in operating machinery that regulates the flow of materials and products.

Complex problem-solving, strategic leadership, or high-empathy task requiring human judgment.

Supervise the cleaning of towers, strainers, or spray tips.

Complex problem-solving, strategic leadership, or high-empathy task requiring human judgment.

Defrost frozen valves, using steam hoses.

Semi-structured task combining routine and non-routine responsibilities.