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“Nitro Man” 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 “Nitro Man”

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.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
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.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
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.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
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.
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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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