Clear equipment jams.

Clear equipment jams. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 11 occupations and seen in 12 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Maintain tools or equipment. in Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 12 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 0 (0%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Stop or reset machines when malfunctions occur, clear machine jams, and report malfunctions to a supervisor. · Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products. · Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Monitor sawing machines, adjusting speed and tension and clearing jams to ensure proper operation. · Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Clear or dislodge blockages in bins, screens, or other equipment, using poles, brushes, or mallets. · Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Remove jammed materials from machines and readjust components as necessary to resume normal operations. · Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools. · Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Clear machine jams, using hand tools. · Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Correct machinery malfunctions by performing actions such as removing jams, and inform supervisors of malfunctions as necessary. · Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Dislodge and clear jammed materials or other items from machinery or equipment, using hand tools. · Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Remove clogs, defects, or impurities from machines, tanks, conveyors, screens, or other processing equipment. · Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Extract or lift jammed pieces from machines, using fingers, wire hooks, or lift bars. · Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure
• Dislodge and clear jammed materials or other items from machinery and equipment, using hand tools. · Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 3.4 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
• Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
• Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
• Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
• Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-clear-equipment-jams,
  title  = {Clear equipment jams.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/clear-equipment-jams}
}