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“Metal 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 “Metal Miner, Blasting”

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.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
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.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
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.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
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.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
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.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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