Operation Engineer: profession features and job description

It is generally believed that engineers only create new machines and apparatuses or control their creation. But the operating engineer is out of this line. It is useful to everyone who decides to associate themselves with this work to find out the main features of the profession, the provisions of the job description and other subtleties.

First you need to understand the essence of the post itself. The operating engineer, as the name implies, controls the technically competent use of various equipment, communications. He is responsible for ensuring that all the objects that fall under his jurisdiction work flawlessly in any situation. Under the objects can be understood:

• residential, office, industrial and other buildings;
• separate cars and devices;
• production lines;
• transport, energy, information communications;
• life support systems;
• security and emergency systems;
• vehicles and equipment installed on them.

It is quite obvious that such a wide field of activity opens up solid employment prospects. An operating engineer can work in any region of our country, in rural areas and in cities, in state and private organizations. And even abroad. The need for specialists in the business plan is not decreasing, but growing, because the total amount of equipment used is only increasing. Improving technical systems allows you to constantly grow professionally.

But there are, of course, negative aspects. The responsibility of the operating engineer is very high. And he cannot console himself with the thought, as a design engineer, that someone else will deal with problems and errors. Such an employee is often expected to have a “miracle” - so that worn-out, poorly thought-out objects and constructions work “like clockwork”. The working day is not always standardized. You have to control literally every little thing. You will also have to study all new and new professional information. Otherwise, assessing the current situation will not work correctly. And the slightest mistake sometimes threatens not only financial costs, but also much more serious losses.

Still worth noting:

• the fascinating nature of a number of tasks, elements of creativity;
• the ability to work even for people with disabilities;
• increased risk of injuries and the harmful effects of working factors.

A typical engineer’s instruction manual says that he’s one of the specialists whose duties usually include the following items:

• management of daily technical operation of an object or group of objects;
• providing technical assistance to employees of other services and structural divisions of the organization;
• drawing up and updating plans, repair schedules, inspections;
• control the correct use of equipment;
• development of measures to improve the reliability of the technological infrastructure;
• timely elimination of violations during operation (independently and / or with the help of subordinates);
• assistance in the preparation of applications for equipment, various material resources, spare parts;
• distribution of necessary funds and material resources between workshops and other units;
• drawing up operational, repair and emergency instructions;
• monitoring the implementation of basic operational requirements;
• monitoring that the workplaces always have the necessary schemes and drawings, if necessary, that they are adjusted;
• preparation of conclusions regarding rationalization proposals and inventions;
• participation in certification of workplaces;
• generalization of the experience of positive and negative exploitation, its creative application in the future.

Also operating engineers:

• participate in commissions to investigate any contingencies;
• take into account accidents and failures, prepare reports and memos on them;
• monitor the implementation of protective, emergency and repair measures;
• accept new and repaired, restored property;
• consider and agree on construction, installation, restoration projects;
• help to monitor compliance with environmental parameters;
• participate in training to identify and eliminate contingencies, their main consequences.

The main provisions that the operating engineer must comply with are established by the occupational building maintenance standard. The specialist must be constantly prepared for the situation when emergency teams need help. In this case, he will have to interact with them fully. And for this you need to understand at least:

• a complete list of dangerous and harmful factors, points at the facility;
• key risks for basic structures, equipment and technical systems;
• the degree of depreciation of fixed assets of the facility;
• organization staffing table;
• measures taken to prevent and eliminate emergencies;
• main capabilities, structure, powers, methods and methods of work of emergency rescue services, units;
• first aid rules.

The operating procedure is determined by a number of documents, both on the scale of the structural unit, and the organization as a whole, region, department, country, even on an international scale. All this must be known clearly and in current versions. More requirements for the operating engineer include the ability to always turn the situation at the lowest cost and maximum benefit.

He needs to own:

• skills of compiling and reading working, design documentation;
• general workflow skills;
• the ability to coordinate the work of many people and structural units;
• the ability to control the progress of work at the facility, identify deficiencies and find the right ways to address them;
• basic information about the technology of work, about the dangers and risks associated with it;
• methods of visual, instrumental examination of technical systems;
• methods of destructive and non-destructive testing of the serviceability of these systems, their individual parts;
• operating rules for specific equipment and property;
• requirements for verification of various property and tools.

You can get training as an operating engineer in various educational institutions of our country. But among them it is worth highlighting:

• St. Petersburg University of Industrial Technology and Design;
• SUSU;
• MPEI;
• DvFU;
• Samara Research University named after Korolev;
• Bashkir University;
• MISiS;
• MSTU;
• Stankin;
• Pacific State University;
• Voronezh Technical University;
• Kazan Research University named after Tupolev.

As already mentioned, the work of an operating engineer is very widespread. In fact, he can find a place for himself wherever it comes to this or that equipment. This is not only about industry (although usually this position relates to a service or department at an industrial enterprise, at an energy or transport facility). Operation engineers are needed even in cellular companies. There, their main role is to maintain the serviceability of base stations, without which any such company does not have the slightest value.

But it’s not at all necessary to go up to the roof or the tower systematically. Modern telecommunications firms are heavily dependent on servers and computer networks. And it is impossible to take care of them properly only at the program level. And again the figure of an operating engineer reappears. Another place where you can definitely find it is any organization in the field of motor transport.

Machines can transport people, various cargoes or be used for on-site technological operations - drill the same wells or sweep roads. But all this is unthinkable without the full serviceability of all components. Yes, and for the facilities, the tool of car services constantly have to follow. And one more not quite expected at first place for the maintenance engineer is work at school. After all, there are also used large buildings with serious technical equipment. And all such components need constant, close monitoring. Especially if we talk not about ordinary, but about a specialized school - flight, automobile, sports and the like.

Only he can ensure normal operation:

• ventilation;
• elevators;
• distribution networks.

Of course, such a specialist is also expected in firms for the production, repair and commissioning of appropriate equipment, as well as in public utilities. We must not forget, by the way, about the maintenance of ventilation systems in industry and other areas where there are special risks. For example, somewhere, even small particles from the outside are unacceptable (as in a "clean room").And somewhere else (for example, in a biological laboratory) the release of contaminated air to the outside is already dangerous. All this and many other nuances can be taken into account only by a specialist.

And what about the operation of oil and gas facilities, oil and gas pipelines, oil product pipelines, storage tanks, distillation columns. The combination of huge amounts of combustible and explosive, sometimes directly toxic substances with high temperatures and pressures requires a sophisticated balance. And again, only a trained engineer will help minimize risks, achieving effective work. The same applies to the machine and tractor fleet in road and municipal organizations, in the field of agriculture. Sometimes it’s worth losing sight of just one car or even a single spare part, and the work of the entire organization for several months is under threat.

If the operating engineer is even not enough, he can try himself also:

• at the airports;
• at stations and bus stations;
• in river and sea ports;
• at military and special airfields;
• in shipyards;
• in management companies;
• at power plants;
• in the mills;
• in amusement parks;
• in shopping and retail and office centers.