For many employees a hard day at the office may include long meetings or looming deadlines. These stressors seem very minor, however, compared to workers who put their bodies and lives on the line every day at work. Of the top ten most hazardous jobs in the country some are expected, but many will surprise you.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job with the highest fatality rate for the past decade is fishing. This probably comes as no surprise to fans of the show “Deadliest Catch.” Fatal accidents can be caused by weather, gear and transportation accidents. The fatality rate for the fishing sector is 116 per every 100,000 workers. Following fishermen are logging workers and aircraft pilots/flight engineers to round out the top three most dangerous jobs.
Perhaps more unexpectedly, fourth on the list are farmers and ranchers. Heavy machinery and equipment causes the most injuries. Mining comes in at fifth, which includes miners as well as oil rig workers. Roofers follow, with falls causing most fatal injuries.
The seventh most dangerous job is probably a surprise to most, refuse and recyclables collectors. Most fatal injuries are related to transportation accidents, but the industry also ranked fourth for nonfatal injuries, mostly lacerations. Truck drivers came in at number eight with highway accidents causing a majority of deaths. Overexertion was a major cause of nonfatal injuries.
Stuntmen have the ninth most dangerous job, followed by police and sheriff officers. In 2010, 134 members of law enforcement lost their lives.
The next time you are having a hard day at work, think about those that put themselves at risk just to earn a living.
Source: Bankrate, Inc., “The 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in the U.S.,” Travers Korch, June 4, 2012.