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48% Chance of Automation

“Tunnel Man” 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 “Tunnel Man”

Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
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.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Signal hoist operators to lower torpedoes or sample-taking guns into wells and to raise equipment for sampling from blast holes after detonation.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
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.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
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.
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.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
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.
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.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.
Obtain samples of earth from sidewalls of well boreholes, using electrically exploding devices.
Observe odometers, weight indicators, and instrument panels in trucks in order to position guns at predetermined points in wells.
Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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