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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.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
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.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
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.
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.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
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.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
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.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
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.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
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.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
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 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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