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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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