Will “Firer” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Firer” 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.

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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 “Firer”

Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
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.
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.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
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.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
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.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
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.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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