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48% Chance of Automation

“Blaster” 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 “Blaster”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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