Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations.

“Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations.” is a core task performed by Maintenance Workers, Machinery. Among the occupation's 18 rated tasks, workers place it 13th by importance (#6 most important). About 90% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance. in Handling and Moving Objects

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E0. No direct exposure — current language models give little or no time savings on this task.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.00. Automation potential label: T0.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools, chain falls, jacks, cranes, or hoists. · importance 4.1
• Reassemble machines after the completion of repair or maintenance work. · importance 4.1
• Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information. · importance 4.1
• Lubricate or apply adhesives or other materials to machines, machine parts, or other equipment according to specified procedures. · importance 4.0
• Install, replace, or change machine parts and attachments, according to production specifications. · importance 4.0
• Collaborate with other workers to repair or move machines, machine parts, or equipment. · importance 4.0
• Read work orders and specifications to determine machines and equipment requiring repair or maintenance. · importance 4.0
• Inspect or test damaged machine parts, and mark defective areas or advise supervisors of repair needs. · importance 4.0
• Start machines and observe mechanical operation to determine efficiency and to detect problems. · importance 3.9
• Transport machine parts, tools, equipment, and other material between work areas and storage, using cranes, hoists, or dollies. · importance 3.8
• Collect and discard worn machine parts and other refuse to maintain machinery and work areas. · importance 3.8
• Inventory and requisition machine parts, equipment, and other supplies so that stock can be maintained and replenished. · importance 3.8
• Remove hardened material from machines or machine parts, using abrasives, power and hand tools, jackhammers, sledgehammers, or other equipment. · importance 3.8
• Replace, empty, or replenish machine and equipment containers such as gas tanks or boxes. · importance 3.6

See all tasks on the Maintenance Workers, Machinery page.

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-task-11836,
  title  = {Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations.},
  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/tasks/task-11836}
}