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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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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Microsoft Word
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Blaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's Calculator