Will “Well Blower” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Well Blower” 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 “Well Blower”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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