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.
<ul><li>Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.</li><li>Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.</li><li>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.</li><li>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.</li><li>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.</li><li>Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.</li><li>Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.</li><li>Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.</li><li>Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.</li><li>Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.</li><li>Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.</li><li>Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.</li><li>Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.</li><li>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.</li><li>Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.</li><li>Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.</li><li>Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.</li><li>Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, or drills, in order to bore charge holes.</li><li>Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.</li></ul>