Will “Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

48% Chance of Automation

“Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters” 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

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters”

Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.
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.
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.
Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
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.
Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.
Connect gun chambers to electric detonating devices, and operate controls at panelboards, in order to detonate charges in guns or to ignite chemical charges.
Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.
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.
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.
Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.
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.
Repair electrical instruments, using electricians' hand tools.
Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
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.
Insert powder charges into chambers of sidewall sample-taking cylinders, and assemble cylinders, using special wrenches.
Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.
Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.
Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.
Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.
Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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