A professional who controls chemical process equipment from instrumented control board or other control station. Respnsibilities include:

• Monitors recording instruments, flowmeters, panel lights, and other indicators, and listens for warning signals to verify conformity of process conditions to plant standards of safety and efficiency.
• Moves control settings or notifies chemical operator iii or other workers to make control adjustments on equipment units affecting speed of chemical reactions and quality and yield of product, using telephone or intercommunications system.
• Notifies maintenance, stationary-engineering, and other auxiliary personnel to correct equipment malfunctions and adjust power, steam, water, or air supply as indicated.
• Confers with technical and supervisory personnel to report or resolve conditions affecting safety, efficiency, and product quality.
• Interprets chemical reactions visible through sight glasses or on television monitor and reviews laboratory test reports to determine need for process adjustments.
• Inspects equipment for potential and actual hazards, wear, leaks, and other conditions requiring maintenance or shutdown.
• Records instrument readings, process conditions, and other operating data in shift log, calculating material requirements or product yield as necessary from standard formulas.
• Manually regulates or shuts down equipment during emergency situations, as directed by supervisory personnel.
• May be designated according to product produced as ammonium sulfate chief operator; according to equipment used as reformer chief operator; or according to chemical process as purification and reaction chief operator; synthesis chief operator.