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This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Drillers

• Drive and operate tracked or truck-mounted rotary drilling, air-track or other drilling machines to bore large blast holes to specified depths at staked positions in open-pit mine or quarry
• Operate drilling machines to drill blast holes in rock at road or other construction sites
• Operate tracked or truck-mounted drill equipped with auger or other attachment to drill holes for building foundations or pilings
• May measure location and stake out pattern of holes to be drilled, load blast holes with explosives and detonate explosives to dislodge coal, ore or rock.

Blasters

• Read instructions or diagrams, lay out drill pattern and determine depth and diameter of blast holes and conduct field tests to determine type and quantity of explosives required
• Assemble or direct other workers to assemble primer charges using selected detonators, fuses, detonating cords and other materials
• Load explosives in blast holes by hand or direct movement of bulk explosives trucks to load holes
• Connect electrical wires, detonating cords or fuses into series and connect series to blasting machines; press handle or button to detonate charges
• Handle, store and transport explosives and accessories in accordance with regulations and ensure that safety procedures are observed
• May operate air-track, rotary, down-the-hole or other drilling machines to drill blast holes or may direct drilling of blast holes.

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• On-the-job training is provided.
• Experience as a heavy equipment operator may be required for drillers.
• Experience as a blaster helper in surface mining and quarrying or construction may be required for blasters.
• Provincial blasting licence is usually required for blasters.
• Trade certification for blasters is compulsory in Nova Scotia.

• Drillers and blasters often perform both drilling and blasting activities.
• Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

• Blaster - underground mining; driller - underground mining (in 83100 Underground production and development miners)
• Driller - oil and gas drilling (in 83101 Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers)
• Drilling and blasting foreman/woman - construction (in 72021 Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews)
• Surface mine supervisor (in 82020 Supervisors, mining and quarrying)
• Water well drillers (72501)