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“Ammunition and Explosives Handler” will probably not be replaced by robots.

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Job Description

Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials. May perform specialized handling, storage, and accounting procedures. Includes seismograph shooters.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 47-5031.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 54,580.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 26.00
Currently, there are 6,310 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Ammunition and Explosives Handler”

Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Insert, pack, and pour explosives, such as dynamite, ammonium nitrate, black powder, or slurries into blast holes; then shovel drill cuttings, admit water into boreholes, and tamp material to compact charges.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Light fuses, drop detonating devices into wells or boreholes, or activate firing devices with plungers, dials, or buttons, in order to set off single or multiple blasts.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Place explosive charges in holes or other spots; then detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Place safety cones around blast areas to alert other workers of danger zones, and signal workers as necessary to ensure that they clear blast sites prior to explosions.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.

Related Technology & Tools

Hacksaws
Meggers
Loading poles
Wheeled wire dispensers
Digital wattmeters
Pallet jacks
End cutting pliers
Non-contact voltage testers
Warning sirens
Millivoltmeters
Explosives handling robots
Discharge hoses
Lowering hooks
Grappling hooks
Hard hats
Mobile radios
Perforating casing guns
Avalaunchers
Test lamps
Fuse testers
Blasting machines
Right angle prisms
Tie-down equipment
Digital ammeters
Digital ohmmeters
Digital calculators
Protective ear plugs
Wire cutting tools
Depth measurement gauges
Blast hole tubing
Safety cones
Wire strippers
Tongue and groove pliers
Personal computers
Surface connector blocks
Hand chisels
Phase rotation meters
Spring scales
Electronic shock tube initiators
Long period delay detonators
Tamping rods
Crescent wrenches
Explosives funnels
Jackhammers
Surveyors leveling rods
Safety fuses
Fuse cutters
Blasting cap crimpers
Precision tweezers
Galvanometers
Safety goggles
Perforating capsule guns
Short-wave radios
Electricians' knives
Day boxes
Hand shears
Temperature data loggers
Digital micrometers
Rubber mallets
Wire cleaning brushes
Hole savers
Forklifts
Instantaneous electrical detonators
Stakebed trucks
Wood wedges
Blasthole drills
Fixed blade knives
Ammonium nitrate fuel oil ANFO loaders
Non-electric delay detonators
Pneumatic drilling equipment
Longnose pliers
Folding knives
Bore hole thermometers
Portable air compressors
Safety harnesses
Harpoon retrievers
Vernier calipers
Stake flags
Ring gauges
Remote blasting systems
Resistance testers
Weighted tape measures
Electrical circuit testers
Hydraulic pressure gauges
Extension ladders
Plastic plugs
Explosives time delay fuses
Protective respirators
Phillips head screwdrivers
Laser rangefinders
Flashing warning lights
Explosive blasting caps
Insulated pliers
Plumb bobs
Overhead cranes
Portable signal generators
Shock tube detonators
Remote firing devices
Laptop computers
Padded gloves
Transport trucks
Coated gloves
Wire loop pullers
Portable cranes
Tractor-trailer trucks
Detonating cords
Clinometers
Torpedo levels
Protective safety glasses
Dewatering pumps
Seismic activity recorders
Hoisting equipment
Balance scales
Equipment dollies
Short period delay detonators
Digital multimeters
Conduit bending tools
Digital voltmeters

Autodesk AutoCAD
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Excel
ESRI ArcGIS software
Microsoft Word
Datavis DBS Designer
Blaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's Calculator
Microsoft Office
Global Positioning System GPS software
DetNet ViewShot