Agricultural Maintenance Workers

Job duties

Original text, as filed with the Department of Labor.

Crops/Commodities: N/A.
Equipment maintenance and repair for mechanical and industrial equipment. Provide routine maintenance, such as inspecting drives, motors, or belts, checking fluid levels, replacing filters, or doing other preventive maintenance actions. Workers will need to inspect, operate, and test machinery or equipment by troubleshooting and diagnosing machine malfunctions to ensure optimal performance. After diagnosis, the worker will need to determine how to correct them, check the equipment blueprints, repair manuals, or part catalogs, as necessary. Clean or lubricate shafts, bearings, gears, or other parts of machinery. These inspections will also include power equipment servicing which will require maintaining or repairing the equipment or structures, using tools such as hammers, hoists, saws, drills, wrenches, or equipment such as precision measuring instruments or electrical or electronic testing devices. If necessary, the worker will need to know how to dismantle machines, equipment, or devices to access and remove defective parts, using hoists, cranes, hand tools, or power tools. Repair machines, equipment, or structures, using tools such as hammers, hoists, saws, drills, wrenches, or equipment such as precision measuring instruments or electrical or electronic testing. Clean/sanitize equipment.

All repairs and maintenance should be recorded along with the cost of the repair work if applicable. The worker may be responsible for ordering parts, supplies, or equipment from catalogs or suppliers which will need to be recorded.

Provide groundskeeping services, such as landscaping or snow removal when needed. Maintenance and groundskeeping management, by supporting land application of organic bedding materials, assist with the collection and staging corn stalk bales.

Workers must operate all equipment properly and in a manner that protects operator, others, the employer's products and property. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination.

Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Workers wearing clothing inappropriate for work will not be permitted to start work.

Outdoor work required when plants are wet, or during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours may vary. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Work is done outdoors for long periods of time and requires prolonged periods of standing and/or walking, repetitive movements, and frequent bending and/or stooping. Workers must be able to handle, lift, and carry heavy or bulky objects (product, containers) in accordance with the specified lifting requirements.

While the employer does not require prospective applicants to take and pass a drug test prior to a hiring decision, the employer has a no-exceptions drug policy requiring newly-hired employees to take and pass an employer-paid drug test. Every new hire must undergo testing before starting work with the company. All testing is conducted uniformly after an initial job offer has been extended and accepted by the new hire. If an employee tests positive, he/she is immediately terminated and paid for all hours worked between the first date of employment and the date of termination, if any. In the case of a non-local or foreign worker who is terminated for failure to pass a drug test, the employer will arrange least-cost transportation to the worker's place of recruitment, at the worker's expense.

Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 6 months of verbal agricultural experience handling both manual and mechanized tasks including operating agricultural equipment. Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience. Some Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing required at random and upon reasonable suspicion. Clean driving record required. Must have or be able to obtain drivers license within 30 days of hire.

Benefits and conditions