Description
Operate and tend industrial coolers, refrigerators, and chilled storage systems to cool and hold foods, beverages, blood products, or chemicals to specified temperatures, monitoring controls and performing adjustments, sanitation, and basic maintenance.
- • Adjust cooler conveyor speed, dwell time, dampers, and air intake to reach target product temperature and throughput.
- • Monitor gauges, HMIs, and thermometers; adjust controls to maintain specified temperature, humidity, air pressure, and line speed.
- • Record product and ambient temperatures, dwell times, lot numbers, and test results on logs or in electronic systems.
- • Read refrigeration panel pressures and temperatures; open or close valves to regulate chilled water, glycol, or refrigerant flow.
- • Clear jams, remove obstructions, and notify supervisors or maintenance of malfunctions.
- • Start and stop pumps, fans, conveyors, and valves to admit or transfer product and cooling media.
- • Assemble and connect hoses, pipes, fittings, or drains with hand tools for start-up or changeover.
- • Remove frost or ice from coils, doors, and equipment; initiate or verify defrost cycles.
- • Weigh or count loads and adjust rack loading patterns or airflow to ensure uniform cooling.
- • Load and position trays, racks, or pallets into coolers; unload product after cooling per SOP.
- • Stir or circulate product in cooling tanks with paddles or agitators to promote even cooling and prevent settling.
- • Prepare and add cooling media such as ice, chilled water, or brine to specified levels and concentrations.
- • Inspect and flush lines; clean and sanitize coolers and conveyors with approved solutions or steam.
- • Sample and verify core or surface temperatures and humidity using calibrated thermometers or data loggers.
- • Set and verify temperature probes, alarms, and setpoints according to product specifications.
- • Activate mechanical rakes to control ice flow from storage bins to tanks or vats.
- • Place temperature loggers or indicators with loads and retrieve them after cooling.
- • Follow safety and food-safety procedures, including pre-op checks, PPE, and lockout/tagout when required.
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Advanced Manufacturing
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Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
