Will “Torpedo Man” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Torpedo Man” 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.

Care to share? Click for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or XING. 👍

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 “Torpedo Man”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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