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Explosives Workers
(SOC Code : 47-5031)
in California

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. Include seismograph shooters. Exclude "Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas" (47-5021) who may also work with explosives.

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Moderate-term on-the-job training (1-12 months) .

Occupational Wages[Top]
Wages for this occupation in California are not available.

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")[Top]
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Possible Licenses Required and Issuing Authority[Top]
License Title
License Authority
Blasters LicenseDepartment of Industrial Relations
Mining and Tunneling
http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/mining-and-tunneling-unit.html

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Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)[Top]
Data for Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List) not available.

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Data for Training Programs not available.

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About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)[Top]
Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)
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.
Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.
Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.
Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.
Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.
Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.

More Tasks for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters


Top Skills used in this Job
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

More Skills for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters


Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

More Abilities for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters


Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)
Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.
Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

More WorkValues for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters


Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)
Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

More Interests for Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

 
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