Will “Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist” will probably not be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #292 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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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 Ordnance Disposal Specialist”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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