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“Lead 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 “Lead Miner, Blasting”

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.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
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.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
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.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
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.
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.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
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.
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.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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