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48% Chance of Automation

“Pillar Man” 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 “Pillar Man”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

Microsoft Word
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Microsoft PowerPoint
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Autodesk AutoCAD
Microsoft Office
ESRI ArcGIS software
Global Positioning System GPS software
Blaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's Calculator