There are four occupational categories of Stationary
Engineers that come under the jurisdiction of Union Local 39. These
four categories are as follows: Stationary Engineer, Stationary
Engineer/Wastewater Treatment Operator, Stationary Engineer/Water Treatment
Plant Operator and Biomed Equipment Technician. The following text
defines the job descriptions of these four categories
of Stationary Engineers on a limited basis.
Stationary Engineers operate and maintain equipment
in buildings such as boilers, pumps, fans, compressors, refrigeration
and air conditioning units and systems, motors, automated controls
and electrical apparatus, just to name a few.
Engineers are responsible for the safe, efficient operation
of all systems under their control. They make regular rounds of equipment
areas, reading meters and gauges, listening to the machinery and
adjusting the controls as required. Periodically, they perform tests
and take corrective action, such as adding chemicals to the boilers
to prevent corrosion and scale. In large automated facilities engineers
in the central control room monitor conditions throughout the plant
by watching computer monitor screens and checking print-outs that
show instrument readings from machinery in remote locations. They
may be able to make adjustments by typing commands to the main computer
on the computer terminal keyboard.
If machinery breaks down or malfunctions occur, engineers
are responsible for the necessary repairs. Using hand and power tools,
they may replace or modify defective parts, fabricate new parts or
completely overhaul the equipment. Depending on where they work, engineers
also service industrial machinery, hospital equipment, plumbing fixtures,
conveyors and other electrical or mechanical devices used on the
premises. They also keep logs of test results, instrument readings
and preventive or corrective maintenance work performed.
Engineers work in hospitals, hotels, food processing
and other industrial plants, public and private office buildings,
wastewater plants, drinking water plants and airports. Some perform
traveling maintenance work for building service firms.
The Stationary Engineer/Wastewater Treatment Plant
Operator operates sewage treatment, sludge processing, and disposal
equipment in a wastewater (sewage) treatment plant to control flow
and processing of sewage. They monitor control panels and adjust valves
and gates manually or by remote control to regulate flow of sewage.
They also observe variations of operating conditions and interpret
meter and gauge readings and test results to determine load requirements.
Their job description also entails starting and stopping pumps, engines,
and generators to control flow of raw sewage through filtering, settling,
aeration, and sludge digestion processes. They also maintain logs
of operations and record meter and gauge readings.
The Stationary Engineer/Water Treatment Plant Operator
controls treatment plant machines and equipment to purify and clarify
water for human consumption and for industrial use. They operate and
control electric motors, pumps, and valves to regulate flow of raw
water into treating plant. They also dump specified amounts of chemicals,
such as chlorine, ammonia, and lime into water or adjust automatic
devices that admit specified amounts of chemicals into tanks to disinfect,
deodorize, and clarify water. Start agitators to mix chemicals and
allows impurities to settle to bottom of tank. They turn valves to
regulate water through filter beds to remove impurities and then they
pump purified water into water mains. They monitor panelboards and
adjust controls to regulate flow rates, loss of head pressure and
water elevation, and distribution of water. They clean tanks and filter
beds, using backwashing (reverse flow of water). Their job description
also includes repairing and lubricating machines and equipment, using
handtools and power tools. They test water samples to determine acidity,
color, and impurities, using colorimeter, turbidimeter, and conductivity
meter. They also add chemicals into tanks to coagulate impurities
and to reduce acidity. They record data, such as residual content
of chemicals, water turbidity, and water pressure.
The Biomed Equipment Technicain tests and repairs electromedical
equipment that can be found in hospitals or hospital surroundings.
Some of the equipment that falls into the scope of a Biomed Technician
would be electrocardiographs, x-ray machines, electroencephalographs,
sterilizers, operating room lamps and tables, and diathermy machines.
Repairs and maintenance are accomplished following schematic diagrams
and using handtools and test meters. The technician tests electrical
circuits and components to locate shorts, faulty connections, and
defective parts, using test meters. They solder loose connections
and replace defective parts, such as tubes, transformers, resistors,
condensers, and switches, using handtools and soldering iron. They
disassemble equipment and repair or replace faulty mechanical parts.
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