LABORATORY TECHNICIAN/SENIOR SEWAGE PLANT OPERTOR
Laboratory Technician/Senior Sewage Plant Opertor is a local-government title in New Jersey's competitive civil service, which means the way in is an open exam rather than a direct appointment.
Candidates need an associate's degree and 2 years of relevant experience.
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This title is filled by competitive examination.
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Laboratory Technician/Senior Sewage Plant Opertor is a local service title. It is filled by the counties, municipalities, authorities and other employers that have adopted civil service under Title 11A, not by State departments. Those employers set pay by ordinance or contract rather than from a State salary schedule, which is why most local titles carry no salary range here.
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Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under direction of a supervisory official, does and assists with laboratory technical work in a chemical, bacteriological, venereal disease control, animal industry, hospital, institution, research, forensic, or other laboratory; does other related duties as required.
Under direction takes the lead over other operators and operates, adjusts, and regulates sewage plant pumps, valves, and other equipment, takes periodic readings of relevant gauges, and may conduct routine standardized tests on sewage samples; does other related duties.
Examples of work
- Receives, unpacks, and opens specimens containing Conococcus, Vincent's Angina, malaria, diphtheria, and other organisms and materials, and puts samples into various media according to type of organisms suspected.
- Gives assignments and instructions to laboratory service workers, senior laboratory service workers, or other nonprofessional workers, and supervises the performance of their work.
- Sets up tubes with various dilutions of serums for possible undulant fever, typhus, tularemia, and other suspected infections with their specific antigens.
- May assist in all procedures involved in making required tests and analyses.
- Makes smears and stains specimens of sputum preparatory to the microscopic examination of such specimens.
- Prepares racks with proper media for use in testing water, milk, sewage, and various other types of samples.
- May prepare culture media, reagents, stains, and stock solutions.
- Pipettes or pours correct dilution or other medium into each tube or dish and, after proper incubation period, makes a reading to determine total count.
- Determines total solids in water, sewage, and other samples and suspended solids in sewage samples by means of analytical balance.
- Makes complete tests for bacillus coli to determine possible contamination and pollution of water.
- Makes agglutination tests for brucellosis.
- Prepares blood specimens for serological examinations for syphilis, virological tests, and for agglutination tests for bacterial infections.
- Stains blood smears for opsonocytophagic tests and blood differential counts.
- Makes complete blood counts, Widal tests, blood sedimentation tests, and bleeding and coagulation timing tests.
- Prepares reagents necessary for Mazzini and Kahn tests for syphilis and makes such tests.
- Makes technical analyses of samples of waters to determine their chemical content and qualities.
- Inoculates animals and makes autopsies.
- Makes basal metabolism, vital capacity, tuberculin, Patch, and Schick tests.
- Makes urinalyses.
- Receives, preserves, dehydrates, imbeds, blocks, cuts, and stains specimens taken at autopsies and operations for histological sections and staining.
- Makes spinal fluid examinations including leukocyte counts, Mogushi's globulin tests, and Lange's colloidal gold tests.
- Makes blood, throat, and urine cultures, and cultures of various transudates and exudates.
- Prepares reports.
- Helps maintain records and files.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Takes the lead in a unit and operates, adjusts, and regulates chemical feed machines, sludge digestion pumps, flowmeters, valves, and other equipment.
- Checks and adjusts the flow and levels in varied tanks and sludge chambers.
- Takes periodic readings of relevant gauges and records these readings.
- Opens and closes appropriate valves.
- Maintains proper liquid levels in pressure accumulators.
- Reads and checks gas meters and regulates gas cocks.
- Operates, adjusts, and regulates chlorinators.
- Operates sewage plant incinerator.
- May perform routine tests on samples taken from portion of sewage passing through the plant.
- Maintains the working area in a clean/sanitary condition.
- Packs pump and maintain proper flow in sedimentation tanks.
- Periodically inspects plant and equipment for malfunctions and needed repairs, performs minor repairs, and lubricates machines and equipment.
- May maintain and prepare all equipment and paraphernalia necessary for performance of tests to sewage samples.
- Maintains records and files.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Education
Successful completion of 60 semester hour credits from an accredited college or university which shall have included 24 semester hour credits in the biological and/or physical sciences.
Experience
Two (2) years of experience in operating, adjusting, regulating, repairing, and maintaining pumps, valves, electric motors, and other electrical and mechanical equipment of the type used in a sewage treatment plant.
License
Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Appointees may be required to possess a current and valid Public Wastewater Systems Operator License and/or a Public Water Treatment System Operator License of the appropriate class issued by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of chemistry, bacteriology, serology, or other field of knowledge involving extensive laboratory analyses.
- Knowledge of laboratory equipment, reagents, and techniques.
- Ability to analyze routine laboratory problems, organize assigned work, and develop effective work methods.
- Ability to make varied routine laboratory analyses of varied types in accord with standard and prescribed procedures.
- Ability to observe precautions and to do the precise, accurate work required in receiving, identifying, labeling, analyzing, and shipping samples.
- Ability to use laboratory equipment, utensils, materials, and supplies in such a manner as to avoid unnecessary breakage, deterioration, and loss.
- Ability to maintain records and files.
- Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
- CODE: 6/10/2010
- <b>SENIOR SEWAGE PLANT OPERATOR</b>
- Knowledge of procedures used in operating, adjusting, and regulating sewage plant pumps, valves, and other equipment.
- Ability to understand, remember, and carry out oral and written directions.
- Ability to inspect equipment for malfunctions and perform minor repairs.
- Ability to interpret readings on various gauges and meters.
- Ability to maintain records and files.
- Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
- CODE: 11/04/2011
- <b>DUAL TITLE CODE: </b>
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
Successful completion of a certificate program in Clinical Laboratory Technology may be substituted for the above education.
Applicants who do not possess the required credits or certificate in Clinical Laboratory Technology may substitute two (2) years of experience as a technician in a public health, hospital, clinical, or research laboratory performing bacteriological, chemical, histological, serology, and/or virological tests.
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.