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.

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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 powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
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.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' 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.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
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 waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
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.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
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.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
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.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
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.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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