Job Duties Custom List 19-2031.00 — Chemists
- Evaluate laboratory safety procedures to ensure compliance with standards or to make improvements as needed.
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- Monitor nuclear reactor equipment performance to identify operational inefficiencies, hazards, or needs for maintenance or repair.
- Follow policies and procedures for radiation workers to ensure personnel safety.
- Monitor instruments, gauges, or recording devices under direction of nuclear experimenters.
- Follow nuclear equipment operational policies and procedures that ensure environmental safety.
- Conduct surveillance testing to determine safety of nuclear equipment.
- Test plant equipment to ensure it is operating properly.
- Apply safety tags to equipment needing maintenance.
- Modify, devise, or maintain nuclear equipment used in operations.
- Perform testing, maintenance, repair, or upgrading of accelerator systems.
- Adjust controls of equipment to control particle beam movement, pulse rates, energy or intensity, or radiation, according to specifications.
- Warn maintenance workers of radiation hazards and direct workers to vacate hazardous areas.
- Calculate equipment operating factors, such as radiation times, dosages, temperatures, gamma intensities, or pressures, using standard formulas and conversion tables.
- Measure the intensity and identify the types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.
- Communicate with accelerator maintenance personnel to ensure readiness of support systems, such as vacuum, water cooling, or radio frequency power sources.
- Set control panel switches to route electric power from sources and direct particle beams through injector units.
- Identify and implement appropriate decontamination procedures, based on equipment and the size, nature, and type of contamination.
- Decontaminate objects by cleaning them using soap or solvents or by abrading using brushes, buffing machines, or sandblasting machines.
- Prepare reports to communicate information such as contamination test results, decontamination results, or decontamination procedures.
- Collect air, water, gas or solid samples for testing to determine radioactivity levels or to ensure appropriate radioactive containment.
- Determine or recommend radioactive decontamination procedures, according to the size and nature of equipment and the degree of contamination.
- Set up equipment that automatically detects area radiation deviations and test detection equipment to ensure its accuracy.
- Monitor nuclear reactor equipment performance to identify operational inefficiencies, hazards, or needs for maintenance or repair.
- Follow policies and procedures for radiation workers to ensure personnel safety.
- Monitor instruments, gauges, or recording devices under direction of nuclear experimenters.
- Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data for evaluation by research personnel.
- Monitor laboratory work to ensure compliance with set standards.
- Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
- Analyze experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings.
- Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities.
- Input data into databases.
- Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination.
- Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment.
- Clean, maintain and prepare supplies and work areas.
- Place orders for laboratory equipment and supplies.
- Feed livestock or laboratory animals.
- Conduct standardized biological, microbiological or biochemical tests and laboratory analyses to evaluate the quantity or quality of physical or chemical substances in food or other products.
- Examine animals and specimens to detect the presence of disease or other problems.
- Conduct or supervise operational programs, such as fish hatcheries, greenhouses and livestock production programs.
- Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
- Provide technical support and services for scientists and engineers working in fields such as agriculture, environmental science, resource management, biology, and health sciences.
- Participate in the research, development, or manufacturing of medicinal and pharmaceutical preparations.
- Measure or weigh compounds and solutions for use in testing or animal feed.
- Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data for evaluation by research personnel.
- Monitor laboratory work to ensure compliance with set standards.
- Verify that well field monitoring data conforms to applicable regulations.
- Monitor well fields periodically to ensure proper functioning and performance.
- Adjust controls to generate specified electrical power or to regulate the flow of power between generating stations and substations.
- Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
- Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
- Control or maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, or chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, or auxiliary power.
- Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
- Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
- Open and close valves and switches in sequence to start or shut down auxiliary units.
- Communicate with systems operators to regulate and coordinate line voltages and transmission loads and frequencies.
- Inspect records or log book entries or communicate with plant personnel to assess equipment operating status.
- Regulate equipment operations and conditions, such as water levels, based on instrument data or from computers.
- Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.
- Record and compile operational data by completing and maintaining forms, logs, or reports.
- Clean, lubricate, or maintain equipment, such as generators, turbines, pumps, or compressors, to prevent failure or deterioration.
- Place standby emergency electrical generators on line in emergencies and monitor the temperature, output, and lubrication of the system.
- Make adjustments or minor repairs, such as tightening leaking gland or pipe joints.
- Operate, control, or monitor equipment, such as acid or gas carbon dioxide removal units, carbon dioxide compressors, or pipelines, to capture, store, or transport carbon dioxide exhaust.
- Operate, control, or monitor gasifiers or related equipment, such as coolers, water quenches, water gas shifts reactors, or sulfur recovery units, to produce syngas or electricity from coal.
- Operate, control, or monitor integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) or related equipment, such as air separation units, to generate electricity from coal.
- Operate or maintain distributed power generation equipment, including fuel cells or microturbines, to produce energy on-site for manufacturing or other commercial purposes.
- Examine and test electrical power distribution machinery and equipment, using testing devices.
- Receive outage calls and request necessary personnel during power outages or emergencies.
- Collect oil, water, or electrolyte samples for laboratory analysis.
- Analyze the layout, instrumentation, or function of electrical generation or transmission facilities.
- Diagnose or troubleshoot problems with gas collection systems.
- Operate landfill gas, methane, or natural gas fueled electrical generation systems.
- Prepare and submit compliance, operational, and safety forms or reports.
- Repair or replace gas piping.
- Trace electrical circuitry to ensure compliance of electrical systems with applicable codes or laws.
- Verify that well field monitoring data conforms to applicable regulations.
- Monitor well fields periodically to ensure proper functioning and performance.
- Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
- Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
- Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
- Write and publish articles in scientific journals.
- Write applications for research grants.
- Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
- Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites.
- Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems.
- Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.
- Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry.
- Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
- Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
- Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
- Supervise and monitor production processes to ensure efficient use of equipment, timely changes to specifications, and project completion within time frame and budget.
- Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
- Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications.
- Plan laboratory experiments to confirm feasibility of processes and techniques used in the production of materials with special characteristics.
- Devise testing methods to evaluate the effects of various conditions on particular materials.
- Prepare reports, manuscripts, proposals, and technical manuals for use by other scientists and requestors, such as sponsors and customers.
- Perform experiments and computer modeling to study the nature, structure, and physical and chemical properties of metals and their alloys, and their responses to applied forces.
- Recommend materials for reliable performance in various environments.
- Test material samples for tolerance under tension, compression, and shear to determine the cause of metal failures.
- Test metals to determine conformance to specifications of mechanical strength, strength-weight ratio, ductility, magnetic and electrical properties, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, and cold.
- Write research papers for publication in scientific journals.
- Confer with customers to determine how to tailor materials to their needs.
- Visit suppliers of materials or users of products to gather specific information.
- Test individual parts and products to ensure that manufacturer and governmental quality and safety standards are met.
- Teach in colleges and universities.
- Research methods of processing, forming, and firing materials to develop such products as ceramic dental fillings, unbreakable dinner plates, and telescope lenses.
- Supervise and monitor production processes to ensure efficient use of equipment, timely changes to specifications, and project completion within time frame and budget.
- Monitor testing procedures to ensure that all tests are performed according to established item specifications, standard test methods, or protocols.
- Conduct routine and non-routine analyses of in-process materials, raw materials, environmental samples, finished goods, or stability samples.
- Interpret test results, compare them to established specifications and control limits, and make recommendations on appropriateness of data for release.
- Calibrate, validate, or maintain laboratory equipment.
- Ensure that lab cleanliness and safety standards are maintained.
- Perform visual inspections of finished products.
- Complete documentation needed to support testing procedures, including data capture forms, equipment logbooks, or inventory forms.
- Compile laboratory test data and perform appropriate analyses.
- Identify and troubleshoot equipment problems.
- Write technical reports or documentation, such as deviation reports, testing protocols, and trend analyses.
- Investigate or report questionable test results.
- Identify quality problems and recommend solutions.
- Participate in out-of-specification and failure investigations and recommend corrective actions.
- Receive and inspect raw materials.
- Train other analysts to perform laboratory procedures and assays.
- Supply quality control data necessary for regulatory submissions.
- Serve as a technical liaison between quality control and other departments, vendors, or contractors.
- Write or revise standard quality control operating procedures.
- Participate in internal assessments and audits as required.
- Perform validations or transfers of analytical methods in accordance with applicable policies or guidelines.
- Evaluate analytical methods and procedures to determine how they might be improved.
- Prepare or review required method transfer documentation including technical transfer protocols or reports.
- Review data from contract laboratories to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance.
- Develop and qualify new testing methods.
- Coordinate testing with contract laboratories and vendors.
- Evaluate new technologies and methods to make recommendations regarding their use.
- Monitor testing procedures to ensure that all tests are performed according to established item specifications, standard test methods, or protocols.
- Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications.
- Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives.
- Plan soil management or conservation practices, such as crop rotation, reforestation, permanent vegetation, contour plowing, or terracing, to maintain soil or conserve water.
- Advise land users, such as farmers or ranchers, on plans, problems, or alternative conservation solutions.
- Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans.
- Compute design specifications for implementation of conservation practices, using survey or field information, technical guides or engineering manuals.
- Gather information from geographic information systems (GIS) databases or applications to formulate land use recommendations.
- Participate on work teams to plan, develop, or implement programs or policies for improving environmental habitats, wetlands, or groundwater or soil resources.
- Compute cost estimates of different conservation practices, based on needs of land users, maintenance requirements, or life expectancy of practices.
- Develop or maintain working relationships with local government staff or board members.
- Revisit land users to view implemented land use practices or plans.
- Visit areas affected by erosion problems to identify causes or determine solutions.
- Provide information, knowledge, expertise, or training to government agencies at all levels to solve water or soil management problems or to assure coordination of resource protection activities.
- Enter local soil, water, or other environmental data into adaptive or Web-based decision tools to identify appropriate analyses or techniques.
- Analyze results of investigations to determine measures needed to maintain or restore proper soil management.
- Develop, conduct, or participate in surveys, studies, or investigations of various land uses to inform corrective action plans.
- Coordinate or implement technical, financial, or administrative assistance programs for local government units to ensure efficient program implementation or timely responses to requests for assistance.
- Respond to complaints or questions on wetland jurisdiction, providing information or clarification.
- Compile or interpret biodata to determine extent or type of wetlands or to aid in program formulation.
- Review or approve amendments to comprehensive local water plans or conservation district plans.
- Review proposed wetland restoration easements or provide technical recommendations.
- Develop soil maps.
- Manage field offices or involve staff in cooperative ventures.
- Initiate, schedule, or conduct annual audits or compliance checks of program implementation by local government.
- Identify or recommend integrated weed and pest management (IPM) strategies, such as resistant plants, cultural or behavioral controls, soil amendments, insects, natural enemies, barriers, or pesticides.
- Review annual reports of counties, conservation districts, or watershed management organizations, certifying compliance with mandated reporting requirements.
- Review grant applications or make funding recommendations.
- Develop or conduct environmental studies, such as plant material field trials or wildlife habitat impact studies.
- Conduct fact-finding or mediation sessions among government units, landowners, or other agencies to resolve disputes.
- Develop water conservation or harvest plans, using weather information systems, irrigation information management systems, or other sources of daily evapotranspiration (ET) data.
- Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications.
- Evaluate fire station procedures to ensure efficiency and enforcement of departmental regulations.
- Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
- Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
- Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
- Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
- Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
- Instruct and drill fire department personnel in assigned duties, including firefighting, medical care, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and related subjects.
- Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
- Evaluate the performance of assigned firefighting personnel.
- Direct the training of firefighters, assigning of instructors to training classes, and providing of supervisors with reports on training progress and status.
- Perform maintenance and minor repairs on firefighting equipment, including vehicles, and write and submit proposals to modify, replace, and repair equipment.
- Schedule employee work assignments and set work priorities.
- Monitor fire suppression expenditures to ensure that they are necessary and reasonable.
- Participate in creating fire safety guidelines and evacuation schemes for nonresidential buildings.
- Maintain required maps and records.
- Drive crew carriers to transport firefighters to fire sites.
- Inspect stations, uniforms, equipment, or recreation areas to ensure compliance with safety standards, taking corrective action as necessary.
- Direct firefighters in station maintenance duties, and participate in these duties.
- Recommend personnel actions related to disciplinary procedures, performance, leaves of absence, and grievances.
- Perform administrative duties, such as compiling and maintaining records, completing forms, preparing reports, or composing correspondence.
- Direct investigation of cases of suspected arson, hazards, and false alarms and submit reports outlining findings.
- Recommend equipment modifications or new equipment purchases.
- Supervise and participate in the inspection of properties to ensure that they are in compliance with applicable fire codes, ordinances, laws, regulations, and standards.
- Inspect and test new and existing fire protection systems, fire detection systems, and fire safety equipment to ensure that they are operating properly.
- Study and interpret fire safety codes to establish procedures for issuing permits to handle hazardous or flammable substances.
- Analyze burn conditions and results, and prepare postburn reports.
- Evaluate size, location, and condition of fires.
- Maintain knowledge of fire laws and fire prevention techniques and tactics.
- Plan, direct, and supervise prescribed burn projects.
- Recruit or hire firefighting personnel.
- Evaluate fire station procedures to ensure efficiency and enforcement of departmental regulations.
