Plant Operator

Airgas•Rockford, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Operator safely operates equipment to handle and produce packaged gas cylinders, including high-pressure and liquefied gases. The role includes moving, sorting, preparing, inspecting, filling, labeling, and maintaining cylinders and cryogenic vessels while following government, Airgas, and distributor standards. The operator also supports inventory, documentation, quality control, and workplace safety.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to read and understand material safety data sheets.
Customer-service skills and ability to work collaboratively with people from varied backgrounds.
Self-motivated and able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and meet shared deadlines.
High attention to detail and precision.
Ability to perform basic arithmetic and calculate rates, ratios, and percentages.
Physical ability to walk, sit, handle objects, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, stand, bend, grasp, and perform fine-motor or computer-entry tasks as needed.
Vision abilities including close, distance, color, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to focus.
Ability to communicate and hear effectively in the facility and detect environmental cues such as gas odors or sounds.
Ability to regularly lift or move up to 60 pounds and move up to 800 pounds with material-handling equipment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a manufacturing operation; filling or loading experience is a plus.
Familiarity with the gas, welding, and safety supply industry or chemical industry.
Ability to safely operate a forklift; training may be provided.

Responsibilities

Safely operate equipment used in handling and producing packaged gas cylinders.
Load and unload cylinders or other products onto and off route trucks and trailers, using proper carts to move cylinders.
Sort empty cylinders by type and move cylinders on pallets using a forklift.
Read cylinder labels and tank color coding to identify gas hazards, sizes, and contents; accurately label cylinders.
Safely care for high-pressure, medical, and liquid cylinders.
Prepare high-pressure cylinders and cryogenic vessels for filling, attach cylinders to manifolds, and evacuate cylinders to remove contaminants.
Assist with basic cylinder maintenance, including painting and labeling cylinders, and clean the work area.
Inspect cylinders before filling according to applicable government, Airgas, and distributor procedures.
Perform safety checks, including odor tests and checks of caps and valves.
Fill cylinders by pressure and weight in accordance with regulations and standards.
Check cylinder quantities, styles, and products, and assist with inventory.
Coordinate documentation to DOT, FDA, OSHA, and Airgas standards, and complete required quality-control sheets.
Follow government and company standards for safe handling of hazardous materials and cylinder gases.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Life, AD&D, and disability insurance, including short- and long-term disability.
Paid child-birth benefit of 14 weeks and parental leave.
401(k) plan with company matching.
Tuition assistance or reimbursement and discounted college tuition for eligible employees’ dependents.
Paid holidays, vacation, sick time, and floating holidays.
Employee Assistance Program.
Pre-tax commuter transportation benefit.
Jury duty and funeral/bereavement leave.
Airgas Scholarship Program for dependent children.
Benefits begin after 30 days of employment.