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Two lists of the Top 10 most dangerous jobs

On Behalf of | Jan 4, 2019 | Uncategorized |

Workers in every profession are exposed to dangers from the mundane to the extraordinary – and let’s face it, most of the dangers we face every day are fairly mundane.

But there are professions in which workers face extraordinary dangers, and some of them occur right in your neighborhood. To get a feel for what might be the most dangerous professions, we looked at two recent surveys. The results might be surprising.

From trash recyclers to soldiers

The first list puts trash recyclers and collectors at No. 10 with 34 deaths per 100,000 workers and 20,100 injuries in 2016. Workers suffer from broken bones, muscle strains, injuries from sharp objects and sickness from exposure to toxic chemicals.

Farm workers come in at No. 9 with 23.1 deaths per 100,000 workers and a 46.3 percent injury rate. Dangers include slips and falls, heat exposure, working with heavy construction machines and tools and exposure to chemicals and pesticides.

Truck drivers are at No. 8, with 24.7 deaths per 100,000 workers and 80,180 injuries in 2016. Truckers are involved in 25 percent of vehicle accidents in the U.S., this report says, and drivers suffer from hazardous weather and sleep deprivation.

Iron and steel workers are No. 7 on the list with 26 deaths per 100,000 workers. Extreme weather or working conditions combine with heavy machinery and slips and falls to make this a dangerous profession.

Roofers have the No. 6 most dangerous job with 48.6 deaths per 100,000 workers. Slips and falls join with extreme weather conditions while working on a slanted surface to create a hazardous working environment.

Pilots come in at No. 5 on the list with 55 deaths per 100,000 workers. Dangerous weather, faulty equipment and risk of accidents – especially for bush pilots who work in remote areas – push the death total up in this profession.

Fishing professionals are No. 4 with 86 deaths per 100,000 workers. The death rate is 29 times the national average as workers face exhaustion, overexertion, dangerous equipment and bad weather.

Loggers are No. 3 with 136 deaths per 100,000 workers. They work with heavy equipment in bad weather and on dangerous terrain.

Firefighters are No. 2 on the list. While 89 died in 2016, 62,085 were injured from risks that include stress, burns, smoke inhalation, poor working conditions and exposure to deadly chemicals and materials.

Military members come in at No. 1 with an average death rate of 1,575 per year between 1980 and 2010, and roughly 20,000 injuries in 2014 alone. Dangers include combat, training accidents, stress and post-traumatic stress disorder, exposure to deadly chemicals and materials and bad weather.

Another survey

A second survey takes another look at the most dangerous professions – not including soldiers – using a slightly different methodology and listing them with fatal injuries per 100,000 worker and median annual wage, both from 2016:

  • No. 10: Farmer workers – 17.4 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $22,520
  • No. 9: Construction supervisors – 18 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $62,980
  • No 8: Farm, ranch managers – 23.1 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $66,360
  • No. 7: Truckers – 24.7 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $36,670
  • No. 6: Steel/iron workers – 25.1 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $51,800
  • No. 5: Trash recyclers and collectors – 34.1 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $35,270
  • No. 4: Roofers – 48.6 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $37,760
  • No. 3: Pilots – 55.5 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $105,720
  • No. 2: Fishing professionals – 86 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $27,110
  • No. 1: Loggers – 135.9 deaths per 100,000 workers and median annual wage of $37,590

In addition to bad weather or poor working conditions and using heavy, dangerous equipment, the workers in many of the professions on this list faced the greatest danger from slips and falls – very similar to the ones faced by workers in more mundane professions.

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