Will “Explosives Detonator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Explosives Detonator” 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.

Care to share? Click for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or XING. 👍

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 “Explosives Detonator”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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