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Occupation Profile

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Occupation:	Painters, Transportation Equipment	Change Occupation
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Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities \| Tasks & Activities \| Tools & Technology Related Occupations \| Web Resources

PAINTERS, TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT

Occupation Description

Operate or tend painting machines to paint surfaces of transportation equipment, such as automobiles, buses, trucks, trains, boats, and airplanes. Include painters in auto body repair facilities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The most important knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are listed for Painters, Transportation Equipment.

Knowledge:

Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills:

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Equipment Selection - Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities:

Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Source: Occupational Information Network: Painters, Transportation Equipment.

Tasks and Activities

Occupation specific tasks and the most important generalized work activities are listed for Painters, Transportation Equipment.

Occupation Specific Tasks:

Adjust controls on infrared ovens, heat lamps, portable ventilators, and exhaust units in order to speed the drying of vehicles between coats.
Allow the sprayed product to dry, and then touch up any spots that may have been missed.
Apply designs, lettering, or other identifying or decorative items to finished products, using paint brushes or paint sprayers.
Apply primer over any repairs made to vehicle surfaces.
Apply rust-resistant undercoats, and caulk and seal seams.
Buff and wax the finished paintwork.
Disassemble, clean, and reassemble sprayers and power equipment, using solvents, wire brushes, and cloths for cleaning duties.
Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.
Fill small dents and scratches with body fillers, and smooth surfaces in order to prepare vehicles for painting.
Lay out logos, symbols, or designs on painted surfaces, according to blueprint specifications, using measuring instruments, stencils, and patterns.
Mix paints to match color specifications or vehicles' original colors, then stir and thin the paints, using spatulas or power mixing equipment.
Monitor painting operations in order to identify flaws such as blisters and streaks so that their causes can be corrected.
Operate lifting and moving devices in order to move equipment or materials so that areas to be painted are accessible.
Paint by hand areas that cannot be reached with a spray gun, or those that need retouching, using brushes.
Pour paint into spray guns, and adjust nozzles and paint mixes in order to get the proper paint flow and coating thickness.
Remove accessories from vehicles, such as chrome or mirrors, and mask other surfaces with tape or paper in order to protect them from paint.
Remove grease, dirt, paint, and rust from vehicle surfaces in preparation for paint application, using abrasives, solvents, brushes, blowtorches, washing tanks, or sandblasters.
Sand the final finish, and apply sealer once a vehicle has dried properly.
Sand vehicle surfaces between coats of paint and/or primer in order to remove flaws and enhance adhesion for subsequent coats.
Select paint according to company requirements, and match colors of paint following specified color charts.
Select the correct spray gun system for the material being applied.
Set up portable equipment such as ventilators, exhaust units, ladders, and scaffolding.
Spray prepared surfaces with specified amounts of primers and decorative or finish coatings.
Verify paint consistency, using a viscosity meter.

Generalized Work Activities:

Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Detailed Work Activities: