Will “Perforator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Perforator” 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 “Perforator”

Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
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.
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.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
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.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
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.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
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 electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
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.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
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, 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.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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