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48% Chance of Automation

“Pillar Worker” 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 Worker”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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