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“Hard Rock Miner, Blasting” 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 “Hard Rock Miner, Blasting”

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.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
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.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
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.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
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.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
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.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
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.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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