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“Lode 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 “Lode 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.
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.
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.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
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.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
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, 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 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.
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.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
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.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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