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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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

Microsoft Word
Global Positioning System GPS software
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Office
DetNet ViewShot
ESRI ArcGIS software
Blaster's Tool and Supply Company Blaster's Calculator
Autodesk AutoCAD
Datavis DBS Designer