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48% Chance of Automation

“Tunnel Worker” 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 “Tunnel Worker”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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