Artisan: Process Operator/Assembler at Armscor

QUALIFICATIONS
Essential:

• Grade 12 (with Mathematics and Physical Science) or NQF Level 4 or higher in a relevant technical field
• Trade Test – Process/Chemical Plant Operator
• Technical/vocational training in Process Technology, Chemical Engineering or Industrial Operations

Added Advantage:

• Safety training certifications (e.g., SHEQ, NOSA, SAMTRAC)

EXPERIENCE
Essential: 

• 4-6 years of experience in a production or process plant environment
• Experience in the handling, mixing, storage and weighing of chemicals 
• Experience on handling industrial equipment, processes and relevant technologies
• Adhering to safety protocols and procedures

CRITICAL PERFORMANCE AREAS

The incumbent will be responsible to perform the following functions but not limited to; 

Chemical plant process operations

• Chemical impregnation of activated carbon – Prepare equipment for the impregnation process. Accurately weigh the correct quantity and type of chemicals and add to the impregnation process as is prescribed in the documented work instructions to ensure that quality products that comply with the specification requirement are manufactured.
• Ensure that chemicals are mixed as per the relevant WI and batch tickets. If not done correctly the carbon will not pass the quality test and money will be wasted.
• Correct handling of chemicals is crucial as chemicals used include bases, acids and other inorganic chemicals which have harmful side effects, if not handled correctly.
• Strictly follow the applicable impregnation procedure and record all batch information, mass, carbon type, temperature, etc. electronically on the impregnation system to create a database for future improvement studies and for record and traceability purposes. Print and keep data on file.
• Stock control of raw materials and finished goods to be able to accurately account for stock at month-end for cost of sales purposes.
• Build stock on the Pegasus stock control system upon completion of a carbon batch.

Teamwork
Working effective and sufficiently independently and as part of a team to achieve set production and output targets.
Quality Assurance

• Receive raw materials used in the carbon plant to ensure that the correct grade and type are delivered for impregnation purposes.
• Pack and send carbon, cartridge and canister samples to the test laboratory to obtain product approval. Compile laboratory requests for analysis and keep records of test certificates for quality assurance purposes.
• Ensure conformance to quality procedures and capture data correctly for record-keeping purposes. 

Safety Management / Safety Execution

• Keep carbon plant, equipment and work areas clean and organized (housekeeping) to minimize incidents / accidents that can lead to injuries and damage to equipment.
• Always wear safety equipment (PPE) as prescribed by the impregnation procedure to prevent injuries.
• Identify any potential hazards pro-actively, report and ensure controls are put in place.
• Replacing filters at required intervals to prevent chemical vapours to be released.
• Problem-Solving - apply creative techniques to solve problems until it can be reported to the Foreman for more permanent repair

Maintenance of carbon plant equipment

• To ensure all first line maintenance activities are done on plant & equipment to prevent breakdowns and possible manufacturing delays. Clean and replace filters.
• Report all faults and broken machinery in the carbon plant to the Production Foreman to ensure that equipment receives immediate attention and that they are properly maintained to prevent major equipment breakdowns that will lead to downtime and monetary loss.
• Report all defects on carbon batches and machinery immediately to the Production Foreman to prevent the manufacturing of defective carbon batches that can be detrimental to the end user of respiratory equipment and it can also lead a costly recall of defective carbon batches.
• Monitoring the acid content of the scrubber unit – if this is not done correctly, ammonia vapours will escape and neighbours might start complaining (legal requirement) 

Production
Canister respiratory products – All the tasks below are done to assemble and manufacture a canister filter:

• Process (pleat, glue and cut) HEPA filter media with minimal rejects.
• Assemble canister components (carbon filling, ultrasonic welding, inkjet marking, stickers and product labelling, vacuum pack and final packaging) that comply with acceptable quality standards.

Cartridge respiratory products – All the tasks below are done to assemble and manufacture a cartridge filter:

• Assemble cartridge components (carbon filling, ultrasonic welding, labelling and final packaging) that comply with acceptable quality standards.
• Keep workstations, equipment and work areas clean and organized (housekeeping) to minimise incidents that can lead to injuries and damage to equipment.
• Working effective and sufficiently as a team and achieve set production and output targets

Machines

• Change and set machines for the different products to be manufactured in an acceptable time to minimize loss in production and minimise rejects.
• Report all faults and broken machines to Production Foreman to ensure that equipment receive immediate attention and that they are properly maintained to prevent major equipment breakdowns that will lead to downtime and monetary loss and accidents.
• Report all defects on products or machinery immediately to the Production Foreman to prevent the manufacturing of defective items that can be detrimental to the end user of respiratory equipment and it can also lead a costly recall of defective products.