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48% Chance of Automation

“Explosives Handler” 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 “Explosives Handler”

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.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
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 short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
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.
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.
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.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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Blaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's Calculator
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Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office