Will AI replace Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters?

AI can do 23% of the work Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters do at least twice as fast. Real use has not caught up: none of their tasks show up in real AI use yet, but AI could speed up 7 of them. Robots can technically handle 17 physical tasks. 3 still need a person.

AI is already doing this0 · 0% of time

People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.

  • Real AI use has not reached any of this job's tasks yet.

AI could do this next7 · 23% of time

AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.

  • Examine blast areas to determine amounts and kinds of explosive charges needed and to ensure that safety laws are observed.8% of time
  • Compile and keep gun and explosives records in compliance with local and federal laws.6% of time
  • Create and lay out designs for drill and blast patterns.5% of time
  • Verify detonation of charges by observing control panels, or by listening for the sounds of blasts.1% of time
  • Set up and operate short-wave radio or field telephone equipment to transmit and receive blast information.1% of time
  • Document geological formations encountered during work.1% of time
  • Signal crane operators to move equipment.1% of time

Robots can technically do this17 · 64% of time

Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.

  • 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.Robots: structured workplaces10% of time
  • Connect electrical wire to primers, and cover charges or fill blast holes with clay, drill chips, sand, or other material.Robots: purpose built settings7% of time
  • Drive trucks to transport explosives and blasting equipment to blasting sites.Robots: structured workplaces7% of time
  • Set up and operate equipment such as hoists, jackhammers, and drills, in order to bore charge holes.Robots: structured workplaces6% of time
  • 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.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
  • Mark patterns, locations, and depths of charge holes for drilling, and issue drilling instructions.Robots: structured workplaces5% of time
  • Move and store inventories of explosives, loaded perforating guns, and other materials, according to established safety procedures.Robots: structured workplaces5% of time
  • Tie specified lengths of delaying fuses into patterns in order to time sequences of explosions.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Measure depths of drilled blast holes, using weighted tape measures.Robots: almost anywhere3% of time
  • Lay primacord between rows of charged blast holes, and tie cord into main lines to form blast patterns.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Cut specified lengths of primacord and attach primers to cord ends.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Maintain inventory levels, ordering new supplies as necessary.Robots: structured workplaces2% of time
  • 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.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
  • Insert waterproof sealers, bullets, and/or powder charges into guns, and screw gun ports back into place.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Clean, gauge, and lubricate gun ports.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Lower perforating guns into wells, using hoists; then use measuring devices and instrument panels to position guns in correct positions for taking samples.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
  • Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time

Still needs a person3 · 14% of time

No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.

  • 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.6% of time
  • Assemble and position equipment, explosives, and blasting caps in holes at specified depths, or load perforating guns or torpedoes with explosives.5% of time
  • Repair and service blasting, shooting, and automotive equipment, and electrical wiring and instruments, using hand tools.3% of time

Your week is not the average

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What this means

AI can speed up parts of this job, mostly the paperwork and information work around it. The core still depends on hands, presence or relationships. Robots are the other change to watch: they can technically do 72% of the working time.

What to do next

  • Get ahead on the 7 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
  • Keep an eye on the 17 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
  • Build on the 3 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas21%Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas14%Helpers--Extraction Workers12%Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining8%Rock Splitters, Quarry8%Continuous Mining Machine Operators6%

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