Shotfirers and blasters, position, assemble, and detonate explosives at mining, quarrying and demolition sites.
Skill level:
Semi-skilled
Check your pay
- Salary range for the majority of workers in Shotfirers and blasters - from R11 240 to R45 302 per month - 2025.
- A Shotfirers and blasters typically earns between R11 240 and R21 116 net per month at the start of the job.
- After 5 years of service, this is between R13 193 and R28 434 per month for a working week of 45 hours.
Salary Check
Duties and tasks
- Ensuring that workplace safety and explosives handling, storage and transport procedures and regulations are followed
- Planning and giving instructions for the lay out, depth and diameter of blast holes
- Checking depth and cleanliness of blast holes
- Determining quantity and type of explosives to be used
- Loading explosives into blast holes
- Assembling, or directing other workers to assemble, primer charges using detonators and explosive cartridges, and attaching electrical wires, fuses and detonating cords to primers
- Connecting wires, fuses and detonator cords into series, testing electrical circuits and repairing malfunctions, and connecting series to blasting machines
- Covering charges, filling blast holes with rock dust, sand and other materials, and tamping material to compact charges
- Ensuring that all explosives are detonated, and reporting and attending to misfires
- Declaring blast areas safe before and after detonation of explosives
- Compiling and maintaining records about usage of explosives in compliance with laws and regulations
