Profession wood treater

Wood treaters apply treatments to wood to make it resistant to environmental factors like mould, cold, moisture, or staining. Treatments may also contribute to the colour of the wood. Wood treaters may use chemicals, heat, gasses, UV light, or a combination of these to treat wood.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Wood moisture content

  The amount of water contained in wood materials. The effect of wood moisture on the size and physical characteristics of the wood. Suitable moisture contents for different uses.

• Woodworking processes

  Steps in the processing of wood for the manufacturing of wooden articles and types of machines used for these processes such as drying, shaping, assembling and surface finishing.

Skills

• Wear appropriate protective gear

  Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.

• Record wood treatment information

  Record information on wood treatment in the appropriate information system and report it to the correct person.

• Meet contract specifications

  Meet contract specifications, schedules and manufacturers' information. Check that the work can be carried out in the estimated and allocated time.

• Stack timber

  Stack and align timber in neat and separate layers to make it ready for kiln drying.

• Treat wood

  Apply different chemicals to wood in order to increase its natural resistance and prevent deterioration.

• Set up the controller of a machine

  Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.

• Manipulate wood

  Manipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.

• Work safely with chemicals

  Take the necessary precautions for storing, using and disposing chemical products.

• Supply machine

  Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.

• Mix chemicals

  Mix chemical substances safely according to recipe, using the proper dosages.

• Clean wood surface

  Use a variety of techniques on a wood surface to ensure it is free of dust, sawdust, grease, stains, and other contaminants.

• Move treated wood

  Unload, prepare and move freshly treated wood to an appropriate post-treatment drying area.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB