Description
Set up, load, and assist in detonating explosives for construction, mining, and demolition projects. Handle, transport, store, and account for explosives under strict safety and regulatory procedures.
- • Inspect blast sites to determine charge requirements and confirm compliance with safety regulations.
- • Follow blast plans; mark and lay out drilling and charge hole patterns.
- • Measure and record hole depths and conditions.
- • Drill or assist in drilling charge holes using hoists, jackhammers, and drills.
- • Clean, blow out, or flush holes to remove cuttings and dust.
- • Load holes with explosives such as dynamite, ANFO, or slurries and required stemming materials.
- • Pack, tamp, and compact charges to specifications.
- • Cut primacord, attach primers, and assemble detonators and lead lines.
- • Tie specified lengths of delay fuses and lay trunk lines to create firing sequences.
- • Connect firing circuits and test continuity and resistance per procedures.
- • Place blast mats, barricades, safety cones, and warning signs to control access.
- • Signal workers and equipment operators to clear blast areas.
- • Assist the blaster in arming and firing single or multiple blasts.
- • Monitor blasts and verify detonation of all charges; report anomalies.
- • Secure and mark misfire areas and assist with approved misfire procedures.
- • Maintain explosives inventories, usage logs, and chain-of-custody records.
- • Transport explosives and blasting equipment in compliance with DOT and site rules.
- • Move, store, and segregate explosives and detonators per storage regulations.
- • Perform basic maintenance and repairs on blasting tools, wiring, and support equipment.
- • Set up and use radios or field telephones to coordinate blast operations.
- • Document ground conditions and geological features encountered.
- • Assist with post-blast inspections and fragmentation assessments.
- • Maintain housekeeping standards and required PPE; conduct pre-task hazard checks.
- • Apply environmental controls to reduce vibration, airblast, dust, and flyrock.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
