Dryer attendant

Dryer attendants tend rotary dryers to remove moisture from raw materials or food products in transformation. They observe instruments to verify dryer temperature and regulate steam pressure in order to determine if products have the specified moisture content.

The following job titles also refer to dryer attendant:

drying attendant
drying worker
dryer
food products dryer operator

No formal educational credential is generally required to work as a dryer attendant.

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.

Dryer attendant is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to dryer attendant.

bulk filler
flour purifier operator
coffee roaster
cacao bean roaster
starch converting operator

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

green coffee coordinator
animal feed supervisor
malt house supervisor
dairy processing technician
green coffee buyer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of dryer attendant.

• Food safety principles: Scientific background of food safety which includes preparation, handling, and storage of food to minimise the risk of foodborne illness and other health hazards.
• Grain dehydration recipes: Grain dehydration formulas and techniques according to requirements and product. Regulation of temperature, dehydration times and handling of the grains before and after dehydrating.
• Food preservation: Deterioration factors, controlling factors (temperature, additives, humidity, pH, water activity, etc., including packaging) and food processing methods to preserve food products.
• Food dehydration processes: The processes by which fruit and vegetables are dehydrated including techniques such as sun drying, indoor drying, and industrial applications for drying food. The dehydration process goes from selection of the fruit and vegetables according to their size, washing the fruit, classifying according to the product, storage, and mixing with ingredients resulting in a final product.

These skills are necessary for the role of dryer attendant.

• Tend drying equipment: Tend drying equipment, including kiln driers, hearth ovens, roasters, char kilns, and vacuum drying equipment.
• Ensure sanitation: Keep workspaces and equipment free from dirt, infection, and disease by removing waste, trash and providing for appropriate cleaning.
• Mark differences in colours: Identify differences between colours, such as shades of colour.
• Apply different roasting methods: Employ different methods to roast cocoa beans, such as oven roasting, air roasting, drum roasting, coffee roaster, and hot air gun. Use the different methods according to the production requirements, type of cocoa beans, and desired chocolate product.
• Check processing parameters: Check processing parameters to keep under control the technological processes.
• Ensure public safety and security: Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.
• Collect samples for analysis: Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
• Follow written instructions: Follow written directions in order to perform a task or carry out a step-by-step procedure.
• Apply HACCP: Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).
• Operate industrial ovens: Observe temperature and heat oven to the specified temperature. Operate roasting pans and facilitate the roasting process with instruments that prevent grain from sticking to the pans.
• Be at ease in unsafe environments: Be at ease in unsafe environments like being exposed to dust, rotating equipment, hot surfaces, sub-freezing and cold storage areas, noise, wet floors and moving lift equipment.
• Control steam flows: Admit steam through lines or fuel to furnace to heat drier.
• Follow hygienic procedures during food processing: Ensure a clean working space according to hygienic standards in the food processing industry.
• Adhere to organisational guidelines: Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.
• Secure goods according to work orders: Fasten bands around stacks or articles, prior to shipment or storage.
• Apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages: Apply and follow national, international, and internal requirements quoted in standards, regulations and other specifications related with manufacturing of food and beverages.
• Apply GMP: Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Carry out checks of production plant equipment: Carry out checks of the machinery and equipment used in the production plant. Ensure that the machinery is working properly, set machines before usage, and assure continuous operability of the equipment.
• Follow production schedule: Follow production schedule taking into account all requirements, times and needs. This schedule outlines what individual commodities must be produced in each time period and encapsulates various concerns like production, staffing, inventory, etc. It is usually linked to manufacturing where the plan indicates when and how much of each product will be demanded. Utilise all the information in the actual implementation of the plan.
• Monitor temperature in manufacturing process of food and beverages: Monitor and control required temperatures in the different phases of production until the product reaches suitable properties according to specifications.
• Adjust drying process to goods: Adjust machine settings to adapt drying processes, drying times, and special treatments to the requirements of the goods to be dried.
• Compare roasted grains to a standard: Match colour, moisture content, hardness and other characteristics of roasted grain with colour of standard sample.
• Maintain industrial ovens: Maintaining industrial ovens in order to ensure effective and correct operation.
• Tend fans for machines: Start fans that force conditioned air into drums or compartments.
• Manage flammable substances: Managing flammable substances to roasting operations and ensuring that safety measures are in place.
• Follow verbal instructions: Have the ability to follow spoken instructions received from colleagues. Strive to understand and clarify what is being requested.

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

• Temperature scales: Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature scales.
• Colour ranges of roasting: Different colour codes and ranges, usually depicted in colour charts, to define their roast color levels.

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

• Set up equipment for food production: Set up machinery and equipment for food production. Make sure that controls, settings, and input requirements are according to the required standards.
• Act reliably: Proceed in a way that one can be relied on or depended on.
• Mix grain according to recipe: Mix grains according to recipe in order to get the desired product. The mixing can be done before or after dumping the whole grains into steel drums for fermentation.
• Liaise with colleagues: Liaise with fellow colleagues to ensure common understanding on work related affairs and agree on the necessary compromises the parties might need to face. Negotiate compromises between parties as to ensure that work in general run efficiently towards the achievement of the objectives.
• Work according to recipe: Perform tasks in food preparation according to recipe or specification in order to preserve the quality of ingredients and to ensure replication accuracy of the recipe. Select the appropriate materials to follow the recipe, taking into account the current situation.
• Have computer literacy: Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.
• Work in a food processing team: Collaborate in a team with other food processing professionals in service of the food and beverages industry.
• Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
• Ensure compliance with environmental legislation in food production: Make sure to comply with environmental legislation in food production. Understand the legislation related to environmental matters in food manufacturing and apply it in practice.
• Label samples: Label raw material/ product samples for laboratory checks, according to implemented quality system.
• Stand high temperatures: Stand high temperatures while keeping concentration and efficiency under demanding circumstances.

8160 – Food and related products machine operators

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References

1. Dryer attendant – ESCO