Coking furnace operator

Coking furnace operators monitor the operation of a usually automatic industrial oven that takes in crushed, washed, and blended bituminous coal and heats it to temperatures between 1000 and 2000 °C without the presence of oxygen in order to obtain cokes. The finished cokes are then quenched with water or air and prepared for transport.

The following job titles also refer to coking furnace operator:

coke oven operator
industrial coke oven worker
coke quencher operator
coking furnace technician
coker
coking oven operator

A high school diploma is generally the minimum required to work as a coking furnace operator.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Coking furnace operator is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to coking furnace operator.

heat treatment furnace operator
plastic heat treatment equipment operator
fibre machine tender
roughneck
mine rescue officer

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of coking furnace operator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of coking furnace operator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

metal furnace operator
air pollution analyst
desalination technician
petroleum pump system operator
gas processing plant control room operator

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of coking furnace operator.

• Coking process: The process of destructive distillation where crushed, washed and blended coal is heated to remove impurities and water.
• Electronics: The functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications. Apply this knowledge to ensure electronic equipment runs smoothly.

These skills are necessary for the role of coking furnace operator.

• Use a computer: Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.
• Measure furnace temperature: Monitor the product temperature using the available tools and measuring instruments and adjust furnace temperature if needed.
• Maintain furnace temperature: Monitor and govern the pyrometer to control the furnace temperature.
• Monitor gauge: Oversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others.
• Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
• Operate furnace: Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting, to produce specified types of steel, or to finish other materials such as cokes. Set furnace controls to regulate temperatures and heating time.
• Extract materials from furnace: Remove materials from the furnace using a crane, a conveyor, by tilting the furnace, or using other methods.
• Operate heat treatment furnace: Operate or tend furnaces such as gas, oil, electric to heat treat castings in order to reach the correct mechanical properties. Adjust furnace controls to heat parts the prescribed time to the right temperature.
• Load materials into furnace: Load materials in furnace with correct positioning, fastening and levelling when needed.
• Monitor coke quenching: Monitor the process where hot cokes are removed from the oven and quenched using water or increasingly air to make transport possible.
• Prevent damage in a furnace: Provide damage and risk prevention in a furnace or a smelter.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of coking furnace operator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Chemistry: The composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk factors, and disposal methods.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of coking furnace operator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Process incident reports for prevention: Verify incident information, complete reporting requirements and report to management and relevant site personnel, in order to enable follow-up and future prevention.
• Ensure health and safety in manufacturing: Ensure health and safety of personnel during manufacturing process.
• Manage time in furnace operations: Manage and comply to the schedule specifications in furnace operations, ensuring that the processes are completed in a timely manner.
• Perform minor repairs to equipment: Conduct routine maintenance on equipment. Recognise and identify minor defects in equipment and make repairs if appropriate.
• Record furnace operations: Log furnace time and production data.

8131 – Chemical products plant and machine operators

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References

1. ESCO