Despite ongoing technological advances and widespread awareness of best safety practices, a lot of people still die or get injured as a result of their work. And many others contract job-related illnesses, sometimes decades after leaving a dangerous occupation. How's that for back pay?
The 11 Most Dangerous Jobs Around the World
But risky jobs continue to be filled by workers who don't have much education, feel that they have few other options, are lured by the potential to make big money, don't understand the dangers, or enjoy the excitement of dodging hazards. Eventually, we all end up six feet under or incinerated anyway, right? What defines a dangerous job? Start with some of the characteristics that many of today's deadliest jobs have in common. For example, a lot of them expose workers to dangers such as extreme weather conditions, toxic chemicals, the risk of falling from great heights, or fatal injuries due to unexpected contact with sharp objects or heavy machinery.
And some of them place workers at higher risk of getting into deadly traffic accidents or becoming victims of violence. Simply put, there are poisons aplenty! Of course, the risk of immediate death isn't the only thing that makes a lot of occupations dangerous. Short- and long-term occupational injuries and diseases are often just as important to think about.
After all, they can place a severe financial burden on workers who don't receive paid time off or who don't have adequate health or disability insurance. Those kinds of slow-burning horrors can be the absolute worst. You'll go beyond the typical "most dangerous jobs" list. After all, this subject begs to be seen from multiple angles. Here's a breakdown of the main sections:. First, the good news: On average, job-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses in America have been decreasing over the past few decades. For instance, in , about 38 American workers died each day while on the job or shortly thereafter.
But in , that number was down to 13 deaths per day. And in , there were By , that number had dropped to just 3. However, the ugly truth is that some of the deadliest jobs in America may go unrecognized. It may turn out that a lot of people eventually suffer or kick the bucket because of jobs that they previously thought were safe. What statistics like those above often don't account for are the long-term impacts of dangerous professions on worker health.
Why you should care
It's possible to work for years in a high-risk career, leave it without ever having experienced any significant health problems, and develop a disease later on that can be linked back to your time in that job. In fact, some researchers have suggested that occupational injuries and diseases would be among the top five causes of death and illness in America if they were more accurately tracked and reported. That said, the official numbers are still concerning.
In fact, some government estimates have pegged the yearly number of deaths in America from occupational diseases at anywhere from 26, to 72, Work-related cancer could account for between 12, and 26, of those yearly deaths. And work-related heart disease could account for between 6, and 18, of them. If you had to guess, what would you say are the most dangerous non-military occupations in the country?
Are you confident in your answers? Many people are surprised to learn that the statistics don't back up their assumptions. For instance, in the following list of deadliest jobs, commonly top-of-mind occupations such as police officer might be a lot further down the list than you expect.
And firefighters don't even break the top That's because, within many industries, safety is spotty at best. Some employers simply don't make safety a priority, even though they might pay lip service to it. Of course, it doesn't help that the government employs very few safety inspectors. So, what are the most dangerous civilian jobs in America? Take a look at the following list of jobs. Based on the most recent statistics from , they all have fatality rates that are far above the national average, which is 3.
The median yearly pay of each occupation is based on nationwide estimates from May What is the most dangerous job in America? You're reading about it right now. Working in the logging industry has always been very dangerous. And it remains that way. The potential of dying seems to lurk around every tree.
Logging workers frequently must move through challenging terrain while using heavy cutting equipment and staying aware of the tall trees that are being cut down around them. Despite their best intentions, many accidents happen, particularly when the weather turns bad. Among other dangers, they can receive fatal blows from falling trees or deadly cuts from chainsaws.
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Commercial fishing is another industry with a long history of being among the riskiest ventures. Forget about sitting back with a cold one and gazing deeply into calm waters. Earning your living as a fisherman can be absolutely lethal. Deep-sea fishers, in particular, are prone to fatal accidents, including drowning and strikes by heavy equipment. For example, think about the enormous dangers that are faced by Alaskan crab fishers. They often must deal with freezing temperatures, raging seas, long work hours that extend through the night, and heavy gear that malfunctions and is always being tossed around on the decks of their fishing vessels.
When it comes to dangerous jobs that pay well, this one deserves a high ranking. It's true that airline travel is statistically one of the safest forms of transportation. However, not all pilots get to work for airlines. Most deaths in this occupation are related to accidents that happen in other areas of the aviation sector. Bush pilots along with other types of commercial pilots have especially risky jobs since their aircraft are often not maintained as well as the planes flown by airline pilots.
Plus, in their smaller aircraft, they frequently struggle more when the weather turns hostile or when flying over rugged terrain. And many deadly crashes still occur during takeoffs and landings. Bush pilots frequently don't have the benefit of using prepared runways or landing strips. The Angel of Death has a long history of hovering over this occupation. Laborers within the mining, rock quarrying, and oil and gas industries face many kinds of hazards on a daily basis. For instance, consider the heavy dust and risk of deadly explosions faced by underground coal miners.
Or think about the major physical risks associated with working in close proximity to the explosives used for blasting or the heavy machinery used for drilling or cutting deep into the earth. Many extraction workers are also exposed to toxic substances on a regular basis.
10 Deadliest Jobs - Top 10 Deadliest Jobs - Pictures - CBS News
It's easy to figure out why roofing is such a deadly trade. Simply put, many roofers fall. Even a fall from a second-story roof can have fatal consequences. Plus, the challenging nature of the work sometimes results in carelessness or safety lapses. After all, roofers frequently work on steep angles and in harsh weather conditions such as hot summer temperatures or cold wind and rain.
On the surface, it might not seem like workers in this occupation would be at much risk of death. But people who collect refuse and recyclable materials for a living actually do experience one of the highest occupational fatality rates in America. They are often exposed to hazardous materials, and the heavy equipment that they use can malfunction and lead to unsafe circumstances and physical injury. Plus, driving around poses the risk of traffic-related incidents. Many lethal hazards exist in the agricultural industry, especially in large commercial operations. So it's not uncommon for workers in this sector even managers to become victims of accidents involving heavy machinery, such as tractor rollovers.
Plus, long working hours in harsh temperatures can lead to lapses in judgment or careless and deadly mistakes. All of those idyllic paintings of innocent-looking farm fields probably don't look so romantic now, do they? Like roofers, these tradespeople are frequently at risk of falling. They must take exceptional care to avoid tripping or slipping while working high above the ground, usually to help construct skyscrapers.
But even though they wear safety harnesses that are attached to ropes, a slip can still have fatal consequences. Their ropes can protect them from falling all the way to the ground, but they can still fall and hit the heavy beams of steel or iron that are immediately below them. The more time you spend in a motor vehicle, the more likely it is that you'll get into a fatal traffic accident. People who drive commercial trucks or delivery vehicles for a living usually take a lot of safety precautions, yet even the best drivers can fall victim to hazardous road conditions or to the mistakes of other drivers.
Plus, some employers expect their drivers to work long hours with little time off, which can lead to fatigue, reduced vigilance, and death in fiery crashes. These daring workers are relied upon to maintain the distribution of electricity that we've all come to expect. But they are often called upon to perform their jobs in difficult weather conditions or when power lines have been damaged or knocked down. As a result, they are frequently at risk of dying by electrocution. And they also frequently need to climb tall power poles in order to reach the lines or electrical components that need to be repaired.
So fatal falls are another potential hazard of the job. Laborers within this occupational category are often exposed to difficult and frequently unsafe working conditions.
Top 10 Deadliest Jobs
Whether they are picking crops, trying to handle large groups of animals, or operating heavy equipment, they often face dangers that can be fatal unless they remain hyper-vigilant of their actions and surroundings. Like truck and delivery drivers, people who drive cabs and limousines for a living face a higher risk of death than the average driver. Mostly, that's due to the large number of hours that they spend on the road.
More hours means more chances for bad traffic accidents. But it's also due to the fact that some of them become victims of violent crime, whether from transporting unruly passengers or from driving through dangerous neighborhoods, especially at night. You might not think that people who directly supervise other workers would be at such a relatively high risk of dying on the job. But the numbers don't lie. Just like the laborers they supervise, they sometimes work in difficult conditions and are exposed to the same hazards, such as heavy equipment and lapses in safety protocols.
That's why well-educated professionals in fields like construction management are so important. They often know how to plan safer projects and work sites.
Top 10 most dangerous jobs in the world
Most people who work in the construction industry try to stay aware of the potential dangers associated with what they do. But mistakes still happen, especially when the on-site training or supervision isn't as good as it should be. Leaving My Homeland After the Journey. Where Food Comes From. To order eBooks, please contact customer service by phone at or by email orders crabtreebooks. Learn more about Crabtree ebooks. Ebooks cannot be ordered online. Your product has been added to the cart. Join our Mailing List Level 1 Crabtree Connections: Level 2 Crabtree Connections: Be An Engineer Be a Maker!
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