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“Mica 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 “Mica Miner, Blasting”

Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
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.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
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.
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.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
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.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
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.
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.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
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.
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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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