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48% Chance of Automation

“Blaster” 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 “Blaster”

Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
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.
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.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
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.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
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.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
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.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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