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

48% Chance of Automation

“Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician” 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 Technician”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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