Plant Operator Technician

Company: Airgas Inc.
Location: Tuscaloosa
Posted on: January 9, 2021

Job Description:

This position has responsibility for operating and maintaining plant production, efficiency, regulatory compliance, and safety within the Merchant Gases Company in Tuscaloosa, AL. The facility consists of an Air Separation Unit, an external nitrogen liquefier, and an Argon Purification system.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Monitor and maintains the safe operation of the air separation unit and liquefier, which produces cryogenic products
• Controls flow purities, pressures process using SCADA/HMI/PLC system
• Work with management to maximize production and efficiency to meet the needs of our customer base increasing flows and production rates
• Reads and interprets technical drawings and manuals
• Perform quality assurance functions associated with products to maintain quality assurance
• Respond to plant/production disturbances (on-call)
• Performs preventive and corrective maintenance throughout the entire plant to include compressors, pumps, turbines, valves, motors, electrical equipment, and other plant equipment
• Identify potential problems from collected data
• Troubleshoot process and system problems to restore reliable and efficient operation.
• Record plant readings and document plant maintenance
• Prepare and maintain quality, regulatory, and production records
• Take initiative to improve facility (i.e. operations, reliability, and costs) without directionSafety and Regulatory Compliance
  • Maintains compliance with Airgas' 12 Life Saving Rules and Safety Pledge
  • Requires 100% compliance with all Airgas safety policy and procedures, and cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) training and techniques to prevent lost time or serious injury to others.
  • Maintain a high degree of safety by employing safe work habits.
  • Promotes and develops safe work behaviors through the use of existing policies and procedures and an emphasis on safety behavior management techniques.
  • Assists with safety incident investigations, including near misses, using root cause analysis leading to recommended corrective actions to eliminate recurrences
  • Ensures applicable regulatory (OSHA, EPA, FDA, DHS) requirements are met and applicable training and recordkeeping is performed to meet departmental and location requirementsQuality / Technical Support
    • Performs maintenance of instrumentation, electrical systems, compressors, pumps, turbines, valves, motors, and other plant equipment
    • Complies with maintenance of environmental, safety, quality assurance, and FDA compliance systems and programs including spare parts, preventive, predictive and proactive maintenanceQUALIFICATIONSTo perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
      • High school diploma or general education degree (GED), two years technical college or military technical experience or 2 plus years related experience preferred.
      • Critical thinking - ability to work independently to troubleshoot, diagnose & solve issues with process and plant equipment.
      • Requires the use of considerable judgment to recognize plant process problems and interpret malfunctions to make decisions accordingly.
      • Requires the ability to use common hand tools and test equipment necessary for repairing and replacing mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment.
      • Water Treatment - understand the water treatment principles and equipment a plus.
      • Refrigeration - A basic understanding of refrigeration systems a plus.
      • Air Separation - A basic understanding of air separation and associated technologies a plus.OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
        • Must be able to work 12 hour rotating shifts
        • Must be able to share on-call responsibilities with other Operator Technicians to facilitate uninterrupted plant operation.
        • Must have the ability to work alone, weekends and holidays.
        • Requires continuous mental and visual attention to operate equipment, make repairs and adjustments.TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:
          • Occasionally (1-33% of work time);
          • Must have reliable and appropriate transportation.COMPUTER SKILLS:
            • Requires the ability to use computer programs to effectively analyze, document and track specific initiatives and goals set by management
            • Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel) and Google applications (Gmail, Drive).COMMUNICATION and/or CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS:
              • Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
              • Ability to write routine business reports and business correspondence in English.
                • Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from employees and/or customers.
                • Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
                • Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals using the English language.QualificationsEOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability

Keywords: Airgas Inc., Tuscaloosa , Plant Operator Technician, Professions , Tuscaloosa, Alabama