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Statistics On The Most Hazardous Jobs
Occupational hazard is a fact of life and we
accept it. But there are jobs out there where the danger of you not coming back
home at the end of your shift is very real. These are the most dangerous jobs in
America.
1. Timber cutters and loggers lead the pack with a mortality rate that is 30
times higher than that for normal jobs. Loggers are risk of being seriously hurt
by heavy objects. Their jobs involve cutting, shaping, and moving heavy lumber.
The fatality rate is a high 118 deaths every 100,000 people. Cuts, lacerations,
sprains, torn ligaments and ruptured muscles are common occurrences even though
logging companies try their best to maintain safety standards. High accident
rates also mean more claims to pay for the companies.
2. Fishers and crabbers who work the Bering Sea operate in some of the most
hostile environs on the planet. They are stressed for time as the crabbing
season lasts only for a couple of weeks. The extreme cold can lead to such heavy
ice formation that it can capsize the boat because of the extra weight. Knuckles
and knees get busted regularly while working with the huge crab cages. The huge
machinery and slippery decks often lead to cracked ribs and broken feet. A man
overboard is as good as lost in the squally sub-zero conditions. The job reports
around 87 fatalities for every 100,000 people.
3. Commercial pilots have a hazardous occupation where even a loose bolt can
spell disaster. It is usually pilots managing the smaller aircraft, such as crop
dusters, air-taxi pilots, and bush pilots, who are at a higher risk. The U.S.
average mortality rate for this job is around 70 deaths per 100,000 but the
figure is much higher in Alaska where a pilot has almost 13% chance of dying on
job in the course of a 30-year career. Most flying-related mishaps occur due to
sudden changes in weather.
4. Construction workers/Ironworkers who climb several stories and work on narrow
beams at great heights run the risk of fatal falls. Mishaps occur in spite of
using safety harnesses and using safety gear. Working with heavy steel and iron
equipment in cramped spaces requires concentration and in spite of taking
precautions while welding, grinding, or buffing metal, injuries happen.
Moreover, construction work often takes place in high-traffic areas and they are
expected to wear high-visibility clothing and post warning signs, yet accidents
do happen. This job reports around 48 deaths to every 100,000 workers.
5. Refuse collectors also make the list. Garbage collectors and those who work
with recyclable materials are exposed to all kinds of threats – biological,
mechanical, chemical, and even physical. There is a real hazard of an explosion
in your face from an old battery or getting a nick from rusted blade and not
noticing it till too late, or being exposed to disease-carrying vermin. Sadly,
many avoidable fatalities occur when impatient motorists try to overtake or
bypass garbage trucks and in the process hit the garbage-truck driver.
6. Farmers and ranchers have always had a hazardous job to do; earlier they had
animals and the elements to contend with, now there is some heavy machinery to
deal with as well. As with all hazardous jobs, in spite of all your precautions
accidents will happen and very often for no fault of yours. The tractors and
harvesters are a leading cause of non-highway vehicle accidents. Working with
pesticides, bites and kicks from animals, working on top of silos and windmills
are just a few of the hazards that farmers and ranchers face. Almost 38
fatalities every 100,000 workers is testimony to the strain of cultivating crops
and rearing livestock.
7. Roofers are seventh in the list of dangerous jobs in America. They face
bone-breaking falls from slippery sloping roofs or from the scaffolds and
ladders that they employ. They also have to handle flammable and toxic
materials, work near live electric wire, handle materials such as solvents, tar,
pitch, and asbestos that are harmful to health, work in uncomfortable postures
and lift heavy weights. 35 fatalities for every 100,000 workers.
8. Electrical power-line installers work with high-voltage lines that are high
off the ground; they are at risk of injuries from falls and electric shock. The
job also involves erecting heavy transmission towers. The labor covers
activities such as soldering and brazing metals, decomposing polymers, and
working with allergy-causing materials. There are around 30 fatalities for every
100,000 employed.
9. Drivers transporting goods and livestock are often fighting time as the
quicker they finish one delivery more is the money to be made. Drivers spend a
lot of time on the highways and run the risk of accidents. In fact, in terms of
sheer numbers truckers report the highest fatality rates in the US but that’s
because there are so many truckers. 28 fatalities out for every 100,000 workers.
10. Cab drivers and chauffeurs who ferry wealthy patrons and often also transfer
cash run not only the usual risks on the road but also the risk of getting
mugged. They operate alone and work till late in the night thereby increasing
their vulnerability to attack. There are 24 fatalities for every 100,000 workers
in this profession.
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