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48% Chance of Automation

“Shaft Sinker” 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 “Shaft Sinker”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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