Graders and Sorters

Work description

Place sweet potatoes in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers. Weigh sweet potatoes or estimate their weight, visually or by feel. Discard inferior or defective sweet potatoes or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing. Grade and sort sweet potatoes according to factors such as color, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage. Record grade or identification numbers on tags or on shipping, receiving, or sales sheets. Inspect sweet potatoes on the line and remove bad, damaged, or off-grade product according to quality standards. Work closely with Quality Control to understand sweet potatoes grade requirements and adjust sorting as needed. Watch for changes in product quality and report issues (disease, excessive damage, foreign material) to the Team Lead or Quality Control. Maintain consistent pace and attention to detail to prevent bad product from entering finished packs. Assist other team members as needed to prevent backups and keep the line running smoothly. Keep the grading area, floor, and surrounding work area clean, free of excess product, trash, and tripping hazards. Package sweet potatoes for shipment, such as wrapping pallets. Ensure finished product is secure for storage or shipment. Keep coolers, storage areas, and staging areas organized so product can be located and rotated easily. Keep stacking areas, box-building areas, and nearby walkways clean and organized. Support general plant operations such as sweeping, picking up loose product, and helping where extra hands are needed. Stack boxes and finished sweet potato product on pallets as needed to meet production and shipping requirements. Lift 40 pound boxes overhead. Help with box and bin building (inbox/outbox building) and supplying empty packaging to the line. Assist with moving product, materials, and supplies by hand or pallet jack as directed. Safely operate forklifts to move packaging materials and finished product to and from production, storage, and loading areas. Perform basic forklift maintenance such as daily inspections, checking fluids, reporting issues, and scheduling repairs with management or maintenance when needed. Communicate with team leads, loaders, and the pack shed manager to help keep product flowing smoothly. Keep the forklift, dock, and immediate work area clean, organized, and free of debris at all times. Follow all safety rules and use required personal protective equipment. Sweet potatoes will remain in their natural state while in storage and being packaged. Sweet potato storage and packaging is owned by the farmer and employee's are handling the farmer's sweet potatoes a majority of the time. A single employee may be asked to drive other employees to/from work. A standard (i.e. Class C) drivers license is required for one individual. These duties will account for less than 5% of the person's time. All tools provided at no cost.