Although some of the newer machinery has reduced the level of noise, workers in some areas still must wear ear protection. Because many machines operate at high speeds, workers must be careful not to wear clothing or jewelry that could get caught in moving parts. In addition, extruding and forming machine operators may wear protective shoes and clothing when working with some types of chemical compounds. The average workweek for textile production workers is 40 hours. Because most textile and fiber mills operate 24 hours a day, night and weekend shifts are common.
Operators are on their feet moving between machines during most of their shift.
Although workers have traditionally worked under close supervision, new management philosophies are placing an increasing emphasis on teamwork, which will allow operators greater interpersonal contact and more initiative. Employment Textile machinery operators held about 284,000 jobs in 1992. The majority of these workers were employed in weaving, finishing, yarn, and thread mills. Other employers with a substantial number of these workers were knitting mills and manufactured fiber producers. North Carolina was the leading State in the employment of textile workers, accounting for about 30 percent of the total.