Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Also called Blast Hole Driller, Blaster, Explosive Technician, or Powderman
What Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters do
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters 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.
Who tends to enjoy it
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
What you'd actually do
- Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.
- Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.
- 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.
- 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, 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.
- Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
- Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
What you'll need to know
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Construction / Heavy Equipment / Earthmoving Equipment Operation 71 colleges
- Well Drilling / Driller 1 colleges
- Blasting 1 colleges
Related careers
Construction and Extraction
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
Little to some preparation
Construction and Extraction
Construction Laborers
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.
Little to some preparation
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.
Medium preparation
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 47-5032.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.