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“Explosives Worker” 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 Worker”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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