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Occupation AtlasCooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders

O*NET · 51-9193.00

Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend equipment such as cooling and freezing units, refrigerators, batch freezers, and freezing tunnels, to cool or freeze products, food, blood plasma, and chemicals.

Also called Ammonia Refrigeration Worker · Batch Freezer · Batch Freezer Operator · Brewery Cellar Worker · Brewery Worker · Cellar Person · Certified Refrigeration Operator · Chiller Operator
46 more

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Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code RCI35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RCIRealistic · Conventional · Investigative — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic6.99
  • C Conventional4.29
  • I Investigative2.32
  • S Social1.41
  • E Enterprising1.12
  • A Artistic1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma51%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent7%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate41%
Related work experience
None (34%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (60%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (29%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Operations Monitoring3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Monitor machine functions on an automated production line
  • Operation and Control3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Adjust the speed of assembly line equipment based on the product being assembled
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Monitoringbasic3.53.4Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Complex Problem Solving3.53.0Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
  • Quality Control Analysis3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Assess new parts for precision and accuracy to specifications
  • Troubleshooting3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Identify the circuit causing an electrical system to fail
  • Equipment Maintenance3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Repairing3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly
  • Speakingbasic3.12.9Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Active Learningbasic3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
Show the other 23
  • Active Listeningbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Take a customer's order
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Time Management3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Coordination2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Writingbasic2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Equipment Selection2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Instructing2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.82.5Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Social Perceptiveness2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Persuasion2.52.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Mathematicsbasic2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Systems Analysis2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Service Orientation2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Negotiation2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Systems Evaluation2.32.4Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Management of Material Resources1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Operations Analysis1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Management of Financial Resources1.81.3Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Sciencebasic1.80.9
  • Programming1.80.8
  • Technology Design1.60.6
  • Installation1.50.5

Tasks

6 core · 12 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Record temperatures, amounts of materials processed, or test results on report forms.4.4
  2. Monitor pressure gauges, ammeters, flowmeters, thermometers, or products, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions, such as feed rate, product consistency, temperature, air pressure, and machine speed.4.3
  3. Read dials and gauges on panel control boards to ascertain temperatures, alkalinities, and densities of mixtures, and turn valves to obtain specified mixtures.4.2
  4. Start machinery, such as pumps, feeders, or conveyors, and turn valves to heat, admit, or transfer products, refrigerants, or mixes.4.2
  5. Correct machinery malfunctions by performing actions such as removing jams, and inform supervisors of malfunctions as necessary.4.0
  6. Assemble equipment, and attach pipes, fittings, or valves, using hand tools.3.8
Show the other 12
  1. Adjust machine or freezer speed and air intake to obtain desired consistency and amount of product.4.2
  2. Measure or weigh specified amounts of ingredients or materials, and load them into tanks, vats, hoppers, or other equipment.4.2
  3. Weigh packages and adjust freezer air valves or switches on filler heads to obtain specified amounts of product in each container.4.0
  4. Inspect and flush lines with solutions or steam, and spray equipment with sterilizing solutions.4.0
  5. Load and position wrapping paper, sticks, bags, or cartons into dispensing machines.3.9
  6. Sample and test product characteristics such as specific gravity, acidity, and sugar content, using hydrometers, pH meters, or refractometers.3.9
  7. Start agitators to blend contents, or start beater, scraper, and expeller blades to mix contents with air and prevent sticking.3.8
  8. Insert forming fixtures, and start machines that cut frozen products into measured portions or specified shapes.3.6
  9. Scrape, dislodge, or break excess frost, ice, or frozen product from equipment to prevent accumulation, using hands and hand tools.3.5
  10. Place or position containers into equipment, and remove containers after completion of cooling or freezing processes.3.5
  11. Activate mechanical rakes to regulate flow of ice from storage bins to vats.3.5
  12. Stir material with spoons or paddles to mix ingredients or allow even cooling and prevent coagulation.3.3

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Production and Processing3.92.9
  • English Language3.42.9
  • Mechanical3.43.7Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
  • Administration and Management3.32.6
  • Food Production3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Operate a commercial fishing boat
  • Mathematics3.12.7
  • Public Safety and Security3.12.7
  • Education and Training3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
Show all 33
  • Design2.82.9
  • Engineering and Technology2.73.1Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
  • Chemistry2.53.1Level 4 looks like: Use the proper concentration of chlorine to purify a water source
  • Physics2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Computers and Electronics2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Operate a media player to watch a training video
  • Customer and Personal Service2.41.7Level 1 looks like: Process a customer's dry-cleaning drop off
  • Building and Construction2.22.4Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Psychology2.21.7Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Law and Government2.11.3Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Administrative2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Direct phone calls to the appropriate staff member
  • Communications and Media1.81.4Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Foreign Language1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.70.9Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Telecommunications1.70.9Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Biology1.61.2Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Economics and Accounting1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Transportation1.60.7Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Geography1.30.3Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • History and Archeology1.30.6Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Sales and Marketing1.31.0Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Philosophy and Theology1.2—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.2—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.1—
  • Fine Arts1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Near Vision3.83.4Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Problem Sensitivity3.63.1Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Deductive Reasoning3.53.0Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Perceptual Speed3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Read five pressure indicators in 10 seconds to make sure each is within safe limits
  • Control Precision3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Adjust farm tractor controls
  • Finger Dexterity3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Attach small dials to audio equipment on an assembly line
  • Manual Dexterity3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
Show all 52
  • Oral Expression3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Place an order at a restaurant drive-thru
  • Reaction Time3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Press a button to stop operation when a warning light goes off
  • Static Strength3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Pull a 40-pound sack of fertilizer across the lawn
  • Trunk Strength3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Shovel snow for half an hour
  • Category Flexibility3.02.9Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Inductive Reasoning3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Information Ordering3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Multilimb Coordination3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Oral Comprehension3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Understand a television commercial
  • Rate Control3.02.9
  • Speech Clarity3.02.8
  • Speech Recognition3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Recognize the voice of a coworker
  • Written Comprehension3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
  • Written Expression3.02.8
  • Extent Flexibility2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Far Vision2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Fluency of Ideas2.92.4Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Selective Attention2.93.3Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Stamina2.92.4Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.93.0Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
  • Auditory Attention2.83.0Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Flexibility of Closure2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Number Facility2.82.5Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Visualization2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Follow a diagram to assemble a metal storage cabinet
  • Depth Perception2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.62.3Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Originality2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Time Sharing2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Dynamic Strength2.32.3Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.32.3Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Response Orientation2.32.1Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Speed of Closure2.32.3Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Speed of Limb Movement2.31.6Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Gross Body Coordination2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Memorization2.12.3Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Glare Sensitivity2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Peripheral Vision1.90.9
  • Spatial Orientation1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Night Vision1.81.3Level 2 looks like: Read street signs at dusk (just after sunset)
  • Sound Localization1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Explosive Strength1.60.9
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.1—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Controlling Machines and Processes4.55.0Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Getting Information4.23.6Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.24.5Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.24.6Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.14.3Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.04.4Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.93.5Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.93.6Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
Show all 41
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.84.9Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.76.1Level 7 looks like: Load boxes on an assembly line
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment3.73.9Level 4 looks like: Change the oil on a tractor
  • Training and Teaching Others3.73.3Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.53.7Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.43.7Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Working with Computers3.43.0Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.33.9Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Drive an 18-wheel tractor-trailer
  • Processing Information3.23.1Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Make repairs by removing and replacing circuit boards
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.03.2Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.02.4Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates2.92.4Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.92.8
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.82.7
  • Developing and Building Teams2.82.9
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.82.4Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.72.0Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.72.4Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.72.5Level 1 looks like: Exchange information during a shift change
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.73.2Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.72.1Level 1 looks like: Apologize to a customer who complains about waiting too long
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment2.62.4Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Thinking Creatively2.62.5Level 1 looks like: Change the spacing on a printed report
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Have little contact with people outside the organization
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.31.9Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.11.2Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.5
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.3
  • Spend Time Standing4.3
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers4.2
  • Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.1
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.1
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.1
  • Time Pressure4.1

Technology

5 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (4)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (1)
  • Google Gmail

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
  2. Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
  3. Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
  4. Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
  5. Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
  6. Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
  7. Food Batchmakers
  8. Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
  9. Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
  10. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.