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48% Chance of Automation

“Powder Loader” 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 “Powder Loader”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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