Profession lumber grader
Lumber graders inspect lumber, or wood cut into planks. They test the lumber, look for irregularities and grade the wood based on quality and desirability of the pattern.
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Personality Type
- Conventional / Realistic
Knowledge
- Quality assurance methodologies
Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.
- Types of wood
Types of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.
- Wood products
The various wood products such as lumber and furniture, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
- Timber products
Key features, advantages and limitations of the different timbers and timber based products sold at a company and where to access this information.
- Construction products
The offered construction materials, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
- Grading systems
The features of several grading systems such as FAS (Firsts and Seconds) and various forms of SEL (Select) and Common, which are used to buy and sell lumber worldwide.
Skills
- Record test data
Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
- Maintain test equipment
Maintain equipment used for testing the quality of systems and products.
- Apply safety management
Apply and supervise measures and regulations concerning security and safety in order to maintain a safe environment in the workplace.
- Ensure public safety and security
Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.
- Lead inspections
Lead inspections and the protocol involved, such as introducing the inspection team, explaining the purpose of the inspection, performing the inspection, requesting documents, asking appropriate questions, and maintaining a high level of professionalism when investigating subjects.
- Grade lumber
Grade the quality of milled or rough-sawed lumber for irregularities, to ensure specified dimensions.
- Prepare samples for testing
Take and prepare samples for testing, verify their representability; avoid bias and any possibility of accidental or deliberate contamination. Provide clear numbering, labelling and recording of the sample details, in order to make sure that the results can be accurately matched to the original material.
- Use a computer
Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.
- Report test findings
Report test results with a focus on findings and recommendations, differentiating results by levels of severity. Include relevant information from the test plan and outline the test methodologies, using metrics, tables, and visual methods to clarify where needed.
- Distinguish wood quality
Distinguish different types of wood quality schemes, grading rules, and standards. See how quality differs between certain kinds of wood, such as hardwoods and softwoods.
- Operate precision measuring equipment
Measure the size of a processed part when checking and marking it to check if it is up to standard by use of two and three dimensional precision measuring equipment such as a caliper, a micrometer, and a measuring gauge.
- Prepare technical reports
Prepare technical reports that describe results and processes of scientific or technical research, or assess its progress. These reports help researchers to keep up to date with recent findings.
- Tally lumber
Keep a tally of specified grades and board footage of checked lumber required to fill an order.
- Apply health and safety standards
Adhere to standards of hygiene and safety established by respective authorities.
- Perform sample testing
Examine and perform tests on prepared samples; avoid any possibility of accidental or deliberate contamination during the testing phase. Operate sampling equipment in line with design parameters.
- Define data quality criteria
Specify the criteria by which data quality is measured for business purposes, such as inconsistencies, incompleteness, usability for purpose and accuracy.
- Oversee quality control
Monitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.
- Use non-destructive testing equipment
Use specific non-destructive testing methods and equipment that do not cause any damage to the product, such as X-rays, ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle inspection, industrial CT scanning and others, in order to find defects in and assure quality of a manufactured and a repaired product.
- Conduct performance tests
Conduct experimental, environmental and operational tests on models, prototypes or on the systems and equipment itself in order to test their strength and capabilities under normal and extreme conditions.
- Distinguish lumber categories
Distinguish grade marks for each piece of lumber. These are based on its several possible strengths and defects. It allows grouping lumber into different size categories.
- Define quality standards
Define, in collaboration with managers and quality experts, a set of quality standards to ensure compliance with regulations and help achieve customers' requirements.
- Record survey measurements
Gather and process descriptive data by using documents such as sketches, drawings and notes.
- Mark lumber
The process of marking lumber to indicate grade and processing instructions. For this purpose lumber graders use markers to indicate several grade marks, such as the moisture content, lumber species or grade, and the trademark or logo.
- Monitor manufacturing quality standards
Monitor quality standards in manufacturing and finishing process.