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

48% Chance of Automation

“Explosive Ordnance Technician” 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 Ordnance Technician”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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