Home › Work activities › Observe equipment in operation to detect potential problems
O*NET detailed work activityObserve equipment in operation to detect potential problems
Stays humanWatch & inspect
9 jobs11 tasks
Inspecting and monitoring in person means noticing what's off with your own eyes, ears and hands, and being accountable for calling it.
Part of Monitor equipment operation, under the O*NET work activity group Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings. Individual tasks below can carry a different label when their own wording calls for it (0 AI-ready, 1 AI-assist, 10 stays human).
Tasks built on this activity
- Observe and examine appliances during operation to detect specific malfunctions such as loose parts or leaking fluid.
- Start motors and monitor performance for signs of malfunctioning, such as smoke, excessive vibration, or misfiring.
- Start machines and observe mechanical operation to determine efficiency and to detect problems.
- Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation.
- Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
- Idle motors and observe thermometers to determine the effectiveness of cooling systems.
- Observe and test operation of appliances following installation, and make any initial installation adjustments that are necessary.
- Observe and test the operation of machinery or equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using voltmeters or other testing devices.
- Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves.
Tasks where it is part of the work
- Listen to engines, examine vehicle frames, or confer with customers to determine nature and extent of malfunction or damage.
- Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.