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48% Chance of Automation

“Explosive Man” 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 “Explosive Man”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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