// Unit group · 8112

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.

8 Plant and Machine Operators, and Assemblers / 81 Stationary Plant and Machine Operators / 811 Mining and Mineral Processing Plant Operators / All level 4

// Working conditions

Air and dustHeat and coldMachineryNoiseShift work

// Hand tools

  1. 1General Hand Tool Operation

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, and or magnetic and electrostatic separation

observing meters, gauges and control panels, and adjusting valves and controls to ensure the safe and efficient operation of equipment, and 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.

Included occupations

Examples of the occupations classified here:
- Coal washer
- Crusher operator (mineral or stone processing)
- Flotation worker (mineral processing)
- Gold precipitator
- Machine operator (stone cutting or processing)
- Milling machine operator (minerals)

Excluded occupations

Some related occupations classified elsewhere:
- Stone cutter (hand or hand-powered tools) – 7113
- Stonemason - 7113
- Stone polisher (hand or hand-powered tools) - 7113
- Stone splitter (hand or hand-powered tools) - 7113
- Machine operator (cast stone production) - 8114
- Stone polishing machine operator - 8114

Indexed job titles 29