Will “Metal Miner, Blasting” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Metal Miner, Blasting” 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.

Care to share? Click for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or XING. 👍

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 “Metal Miner, Blasting”

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.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
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.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
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.
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.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
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.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
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.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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