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“Explosive Specialist” 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 Specialist”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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