Will “Shale Miner, Blasting” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Shale Miner, Blasting” 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 “Shale Miner, Blasting”

Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
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.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
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.
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.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
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.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
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.
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.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
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.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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