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Message
Can someone please tell me wtf a plant operator is and what they do?
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:35 pm
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:35 pm
I guess you could say this is a slight spinoff. I see threads almost daily about plants, plant operators, etc. on here and I honestly couldn't be more clueless as to what the hell all that means. I THINK/assume it has something to do with oil and gas, bc I see that on here as well. Being around the ATL suburbs my whole life I'm simply not familiar with this. Here are my main questions:
-When you say plants, what exactly does this plant do? If my above assumption is correct, does it have something to do with the extraction of resources? Refining them? I have no idea.
-I'll assume the operator is the head boss of the plant. From what I undersatnd, this person makes a shite ton of money. What exactly does this job entail? What does the operator do on a day to day basis?
-The people on the other end of the ladder from the operator, the lower level, entry level plant workers..what do they do? What are their primary tasks?
-I see that plant workers, despite their high wage, get made fun of on here a good bit. Is it just because of the assumption that they are unintelligent? All I really can picture to be an equivalent would be like a factory or something with welders and people working with metal and machines. Is it that type of employee?
-If working in a plant sucks so bad, as I am led to believe, how/why do they make so much money?
-When you say plants, what exactly does this plant do? If my above assumption is correct, does it have something to do with the extraction of resources? Refining them? I have no idea.
-I'll assume the operator is the head boss of the plant. From what I undersatnd, this person makes a shite ton of money. What exactly does this job entail? What does the operator do on a day to day basis?
-The people on the other end of the ladder from the operator, the lower level, entry level plant workers..what do they do? What are their primary tasks?
-I see that plant workers, despite their high wage, get made fun of on here a good bit. Is it just because of the assumption that they are unintelligent? All I really can picture to be an equivalent would be like a factory or something with welders and people working with metal and machines. Is it that type of employee?
-If working in a plant sucks so bad, as I am led to believe, how/why do they make so much money?
19
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:36 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
why do they make so much money?
because
quote:
working in a plant sucks so bad,
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:36 pm to WG_Dawg
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:37 pm to WG_Dawg
do you even OT ball?
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:38 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
how/why do they make so much money?
Mainly because there is an element of risk so the base pay is pretty decent, but shift work amounts to overtime which amounts to lots of take home pay
It's not for everyone but works well for some people
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:38 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
plant operator
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:41 pm to WG_Dawg
They make alot of money that they blow at the bar and their wives blow on other guys.
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:41 pm to WG_Dawg
From my experiences, it looks like they just sit around, cook, bullshite, complain about their do nothing job and look down on contractors who have the audacity to come in their control room and ask for a simple permit to enter their beloved, autonomous unit.
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:42 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:anything from refining to making power.
When you say plants, what exactly does this plant do?
quote:you shouldn't. most operators are just wrench turners. get it? they "operate" the plant.
I'll assume the operator is the head boss of the plant
quote:
The people on the other end of the ladder from the operator, the lower level, entry level plant workers..what do they do? What are their primary tasks?
there are engineers, technicians, electricians, etc.
quote:yes
I see that plant workers, despite their high wage, get made fun of on here a good bit. Is it just because of the assumption that they are unintelligent?
quote:shite tons of OT.
-If working in a plant sucks so bad, as I am led to believe, how/why do they make so much money?
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:42 pm to WG_Dawg
They ride around in jacked up Silverado's with "oilfield trash spending oilfield cash" stickers and truck nutz wearing flat bill Element hats, white Oakley's, and spiky hair.
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:44 pm to WG_Dawg
They aren't as intelligent as you and make twice as much money. That is what I gather from these discussions at least 
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:46 pm to WG_Dawg
A plant operator is a person who spends more time in a plant than out of plant, buys too big of a house with a nice pool and a hottub.(so that Jody can frick their wife in style)
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:47 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
-If working in a plant sucks so bad, as I am led to believe, how/why do they make so much money?
Fairly good hourly wage. Overtime and holidays. Shift work. Maybe extra pay while on night shift. I am just guessing.
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:49 pm to WG_Dawg
A plant is a place that looks like this:
or
There are many along the gulf coast and Mississippi River south of Baton Rouge.
There are mostly 4 kinds of "plants"
Paper mills
power plants (that produce electricity)
refineries (turn crude oil into gasoline and other fuels)
chemical plants (turn natural gas or oil into various chemicals used to make other products like paint, plastic, fertilizer, foam, cleaning supplies, ect)
The operator is not the head boss. Operators "operate" the plant. They monitor how the plant is running and make adjustments to keep it running. They don't do a whole lot most of the time, but they work a lot of hours (people have to man the plan 24 hours/day) and they are really needed if something goes wrong. The plant manager is the boss.
There are 3 main types of people working at the plant: operators (employed by the plant, make lots of OT), engineers (employed by the plant, make little or no OT and report directly to management), and contractors (construction workers who maintain the plant or build expansions and new units (hired by management but have their own bosses).
They mostly watch tv screens and monitor the plant's activities. They also check to see if equipment needs to be serviced or replaced. During "turnarounds" (when the plant shuts down for maintenance), they make sure that pipes are cleaned out and that machines are shut down and can't be accidentally turned on while the contractors service the plant.
Plant workers generally aren't college educated and make a lot more than most college educated people. This breeds a lot of snobbery on both sides. They generally aren't dumb, but they're not exactly einsteins either. They generally have a high mechanical aptitude and lots of field knowledge but aren't exactly "book" smart.
They pay a lot because the environment is extremely dangerous. If something goes wrong (which does happen), the operators are the first round of defense to stop something catastrophic from happening. It's also work that requires a lot of knowledge to perform well. Also, they work a LOT of OT, often 20 hours or more OT/week.
or
There are many along the gulf coast and Mississippi River south of Baton Rouge.
There are mostly 4 kinds of "plants"
Paper mills
power plants (that produce electricity)
refineries (turn crude oil into gasoline and other fuels)
chemical plants (turn natural gas or oil into various chemicals used to make other products like paint, plastic, fertilizer, foam, cleaning supplies, ect)
The operator is not the head boss. Operators "operate" the plant. They monitor how the plant is running and make adjustments to keep it running. They don't do a whole lot most of the time, but they work a lot of hours (people have to man the plan 24 hours/day) and they are really needed if something goes wrong. The plant manager is the boss.
There are 3 main types of people working at the plant: operators (employed by the plant, make lots of OT), engineers (employed by the plant, make little or no OT and report directly to management), and contractors (construction workers who maintain the plant or build expansions and new units (hired by management but have their own bosses).
They mostly watch tv screens and monitor the plant's activities. They also check to see if equipment needs to be serviced or replaced. During "turnarounds" (when the plant shuts down for maintenance), they make sure that pipes are cleaned out and that machines are shut down and can't be accidentally turned on while the contractors service the plant.
Plant workers generally aren't college educated and make a lot more than most college educated people. This breeds a lot of snobbery on both sides. They generally aren't dumb, but they're not exactly einsteins either. They generally have a high mechanical aptitude and lots of field knowledge but aren't exactly "book" smart.
They pay a lot because the environment is extremely dangerous. If something goes wrong (which does happen), the operators are the first round of defense to stop something catastrophic from happening. It's also work that requires a lot of knowledge to perform well. Also, they work a LOT of OT, often 20 hours or more OT/week.
Posted on 7/8/14 at 1:58 pm to WG_Dawg
"When you say plants, what exactly does this plant do? If my above assumption is correct, does it have something to do with the extraction of resources? Refining them?"
- More technical distinctions can be drawn, but the term "plants" refers to both refineries, which take crude oil and refine things such as gasoline and jet fuel from it, and chemical manufacturing facilities, which can make all sorts of things. "Plants" do not engage in extraction, i.e., a "plant" is not at all the same thing as on oil well.
"I'll assume the operator is the head boss of the plant."
- This assumption is incorrect. Operators are skilled but rank-and-file employees. They are not in supervision (at least generally speaking) and may unionize.
"From what I undersatnd, this person makes a shite ton of money."
Operators can do quite well, especially when you consider that many of them are able to and do live in small communities outside of expensive metro areas. Solid hourly pay plus opportunites for high five-digit and even six digit incomes are common.
"What exactly does this job entail? What does the operator do on a day to day basis?"
It varies depending on the plant and the process. But think in terms of monitoring controls panels/computer screens/guages, turning valves to isolate process areas for construction or safety reasons, sometimes sampling batches of chemicals, dealing with rail or truck deliveries (sometimes). This is not an exhaustive list. (You might hear a construction hand, such as a pipefitter, say that operators "sit in the AC all day" ... and there may be some truth to that!).
"The people on the other end of the ladder from the operator, the lower level, entry level plant workers..what do they do? What are their primary tasks?"
They're not necessarily lower level, but you will see plenty of electricians, carpenters (largely working with scaffolding and making frames for pouring cement), pipefitters, welders, and other construction hands. Many of these folks may be contractors.
"I see that plant workers, despite their high wage, get made fun of on here a good bit. Is it just because of the assumption that they are unintelligent? All I really can picture to be an equivalent would be like a factory or something with welders and people working with metal and machines. Is it that type of employee?"
I am not on this board too much, but I suppose there are some who might poke fun at plant workers because they have blue collar jobs.
"If working in a plant sucks so bad, as I am led to believe, how/why do they make so much money?"
It really doesn't suck. Good money, good benefits, and a decent number of days off. There is an element of dangers, the hours can be long and sometimes the work is hard. so, it's a mixed bag like most jobs. As for the pay, a lot of it comes from the fact that the costs of a screwup, both in human and monetary terms, can be so high. The companies want to get the best people who are able and willing to do that kind of work. So they pay for it.
- More technical distinctions can be drawn, but the term "plants" refers to both refineries, which take crude oil and refine things such as gasoline and jet fuel from it, and chemical manufacturing facilities, which can make all sorts of things. "Plants" do not engage in extraction, i.e., a "plant" is not at all the same thing as on oil well.
"I'll assume the operator is the head boss of the plant."
- This assumption is incorrect. Operators are skilled but rank-and-file employees. They are not in supervision (at least generally speaking) and may unionize.
"From what I undersatnd, this person makes a shite ton of money."
Operators can do quite well, especially when you consider that many of them are able to and do live in small communities outside of expensive metro areas. Solid hourly pay plus opportunites for high five-digit and even six digit incomes are common.
"What exactly does this job entail? What does the operator do on a day to day basis?"
It varies depending on the plant and the process. But think in terms of monitoring controls panels/computer screens/guages, turning valves to isolate process areas for construction or safety reasons, sometimes sampling batches of chemicals, dealing with rail or truck deliveries (sometimes). This is not an exhaustive list. (You might hear a construction hand, such as a pipefitter, say that operators "sit in the AC all day" ... and there may be some truth to that!).
"The people on the other end of the ladder from the operator, the lower level, entry level plant workers..what do they do? What are their primary tasks?"
They're not necessarily lower level, but you will see plenty of electricians, carpenters (largely working with scaffolding and making frames for pouring cement), pipefitters, welders, and other construction hands. Many of these folks may be contractors.
"I see that plant workers, despite their high wage, get made fun of on here a good bit. Is it just because of the assumption that they are unintelligent? All I really can picture to be an equivalent would be like a factory or something with welders and people working with metal and machines. Is it that type of employee?"
I am not on this board too much, but I suppose there are some who might poke fun at plant workers because they have blue collar jobs.
"If working in a plant sucks so bad, as I am led to believe, how/why do they make so much money?"
It really doesn't suck. Good money, good benefits, and a decent number of days off. There is an element of dangers, the hours can be long and sometimes the work is hard. so, it's a mixed bag like most jobs. As for the pay, a lot of it comes from the fact that the costs of a screwup, both in human and monetary terms, can be so high. The companies want to get the best people who are able and willing to do that kind of work. So they pay for it.
Posted on 7/8/14 at 2:17 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
WG_Dawg
did anyone actually answer your questions?
Posted on 7/8/14 at 2:25 pm to WG_Dawg
Chemical Plant or Oil Refinery Operators. They are the guys who run the day to day operation of the process equipment and do the physical non-maintenance work (running the control boards, turning valves, unloading/loading trucks, railcars, and ships, catch samples etc.
Most that criticize them are jealous of the amount of money they make by working basically half a year without OT. Depending on how modern the plant is, the job can be pretty boring but during upsets or turnarounds it can be hectic and stressful. Today, without a PTech degree, it's tough to get hired.
I have a business degree but in the 80's went to work at a plant as an operator (instant pay hike, better benefits, lots of time off). I did that job for about 13 years before taking a straight day job at the site.
Now that my kids are out of school, I'm considering going back into operations again. I can make more than in my current role (one that pays 6 figures) work less time and not be tied to the job 24/7. operators work their 12 hour shift then get relief; Exempts are never fully off duty.
Most that criticize them are jealous of the amount of money they make by working basically half a year without OT. Depending on how modern the plant is, the job can be pretty boring but during upsets or turnarounds it can be hectic and stressful. Today, without a PTech degree, it's tough to get hired.
I have a business degree but in the 80's went to work at a plant as an operator (instant pay hike, better benefits, lots of time off). I did that job for about 13 years before taking a straight day job at the site.
Now that my kids are out of school, I'm considering going back into operations again. I can make more than in my current role (one that pays 6 figures) work less time and not be tied to the job 24/7. operators work their 12 hour shift then get relief; Exempts are never fully off duty.
Posted on 7/8/14 at 2:25 pm to WG_Dawg
I design and implement the automation/control systems for plants, platforms, etc. ...so my job entails quite a bit of interface with operators.
In short, it is their job to maintain and "operate" the equipment their position is based around. In the case of a production platform, they ensure the hydrocarbons keep flowing. They don't really make any decisions with regards to well optimization (that's the production engineer's job), but they carry out the manual labor to make things happen.
In the 70's and 80's, their job was probably fairly important as modern control systems were not prevalent. Nowadays, they are glorified baby sitters. The entire process is automated and all they need to do is be on hand incase something breaks. They change filters and perform maintenance (and sometimes not even that, based on what I've seen!).
They do make good money, especially offshore, but they work shitty schedules and essentially dead end jobs to do so. A small minority of them are intelligent, educated, and well mannered people. They generally rise up to become plant/platform managers and beyond (actually good jobs). Most of them are brash, stupid, ignorant white trash. They blow their money on stupid shite, normally in a "group think" mentality....if one guy on the platform gets a yeti, they're all getting one.
They don't like engineers, and we don't like them.
In short, it is their job to maintain and "operate" the equipment their position is based around. In the case of a production platform, they ensure the hydrocarbons keep flowing. They don't really make any decisions with regards to well optimization (that's the production engineer's job), but they carry out the manual labor to make things happen.
In the 70's and 80's, their job was probably fairly important as modern control systems were not prevalent. Nowadays, they are glorified baby sitters. The entire process is automated and all they need to do is be on hand incase something breaks. They change filters and perform maintenance (and sometimes not even that, based on what I've seen!).
They do make good money, especially offshore, but they work shitty schedules and essentially dead end jobs to do so. A small minority of them are intelligent, educated, and well mannered people. They generally rise up to become plant/platform managers and beyond (actually good jobs). Most of them are brash, stupid, ignorant white trash. They blow their money on stupid shite, normally in a "group think" mentality....if one guy on the platform gets a yeti, they're all getting one.
They don't like engineers, and we don't like them.
Posted on 7/8/14 at 3:01 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
When you say plants, what exactly does this plant do? If my above assumption is correct, does it have something to do with the extraction of resources? Refining them? I have no idea.
I work at a chemical plant, we take some chemicals like chlorine and run it through the process (heating, cooling, pressure, etc) and create different types chemicals.
quote:
'll assume the operator is the head boss of the plant. From what I undersatnd, this person makes a shite ton of money. What exactly does this job entail? What does the operator do on a day to day basis?
Monitor tanks levels, flow rates, temperatures. Open and close valves and equipment checks. Monitor maintenance, prep equipment and piping for them as well.
I'm not a "typical " operator I that I don't work shift work. I work 4/10s, scheduled off on holidays, and average about 3-400 hrs of OT a year.
Posted on 12/21/17 at 5:55 pm to WG_Dawg
“Plants” are chemical plants and refineries. Most of these chemical plants take some sort of petroleum feed stock (natural gas or oil) and use that to make another product or component like fertilizer, plastics, foam, hydrogen peroxide, liquified gas (oxygen, nitrogen, nitrous, etc), or refined petroleum products like asphault, lube oil, gasoline, diesel, and heating oil.
Operaters make a lot of money because:
A. They work a ton of hours, often on 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week during turnarounds (when plant units are shut down for maintenance).
B. They often work night shifts
C. The work is dangerous because plants have a bad habit of exploding
This is work that is often done by high school grads with associate degrees in PTEC. It mostly consists of watching monitors to ensure processes are running smoothly, and occassionally turning valves when necessary to shut off feeds, take test samples, or restore service.
Plants are basically giant plumbing assemblies filled with explosives, so it’s a pretty technical field.
Plants are mostly located along deep draft ocean ports like along the Mississippi River between BR & Nola, near Mobile, Houston Ship Channel, Corpus Christi, Lake Charles, Los Angeles, and New Jersey.
Operaters make a lot of money because:
A. They work a ton of hours, often on 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week during turnarounds (when plant units are shut down for maintenance).
B. They often work night shifts
C. The work is dangerous because plants have a bad habit of exploding
This is work that is often done by high school grads with associate degrees in PTEC. It mostly consists of watching monitors to ensure processes are running smoothly, and occassionally turning valves when necessary to shut off feeds, take test samples, or restore service.
Plants are basically giant plumbing assemblies filled with explosives, so it’s a pretty technical field.
Plants are mostly located along deep draft ocean ports like along the Mississippi River between BR & Nola, near Mobile, Houston Ship Channel, Corpus Christi, Lake Charles, Los Angeles, and New Jersey.
This post was edited on 12/22/17 at 11:50 am
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