Top 10 Most Dangerous Occupations for Workers
Levine Law has 20+ years of experience assisting workers injured on the job with their workers' compensation claims, representing laborers who sustain injuries on construction sites and litigating claims for workplace injuries caused by someone's negligence.
Obviously, you can be injured at work no matter what kind of job you have (even office environments have hazards), but according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, certain industries are more dangerous than others. Based on the number of fatal work injuries in 2015 per 100,000 workers with that job, the following are the 10 most dangerous occupations for workers:
1. Logger
A job that combines height, saws and falling trees/limbs is extremely dangerous for a reason. Although safer equipment has improved the injury and fatality statistics in the logging industry, logger consistently finishes in the top 3 most dangerous jobs from year to year.
2. Fisher
The commercial fishing industry is dangerous not only because of the constant exposure to weather and ocean conditions, but the equipment involved is large and powerful. The nets, lines and rigs used to catch fish combined with fishing boat engines and machinery means there are numerous potential hazards to worry about on any given workday.
3. Aircraft Pilot/Flight Engineer
The workers who operate small planes are subject to human error (their own or mistakes caused by others), mechanical failure and the weather. Any one of these (or two or three working in combination) can cause an accident.
4. Roofer
Like logging, the roofing industry's primary risk factor is height. Better safety equipment and training has made roofing a safer job in recent years, but falls and electrical hazards continue to make being a roofer a dangerous way to make a living.
5. Refuse/Recyclable Collector
On a typical workday, a trash collector is navigating traffic on a busy street, dodging moving vehicles as a pedestrian, lifting heavy items, operating large compacting equipment and being exposed to potentially hazardous materials that people have thrown in the garbage.
6. Structural Iron/Steel Worker
Falls are the biggest reason ironworkers get hurt, but other major factors include collapsing steel beams and concrete walls, and accidental contact with electrical lines. Recent work rule changes that have increased the minimum number of bolts required to anchor steel beams have reduced injuries for ironworkers.
7. Truck Driver/Delivery Person
More than 3 million people drive a truck for a living the US – whether to deliver packages or to move goods in long hauls across the country. Unsafe vehicles, time pressure and long hours combine to make these transportation jobs particularly dangerous.
8. Farmer/Rancher
As with many of the jobs in the Top 10, the hazards of farming are multifaceted. Injuries commonly occur because of unpredictable livestock, tractors that overturn, and falls into huge grain silos.
9. Electric Line Installer/Repairer
Height plus electricity is a bad combination, especially when distribution lines must be worked on while "hot" to avoid service interruptions. When storms bring power lines down, figuring out which lines are still live adds to an already dangerous situation.
10. Landscaping Supervisor
Coordinating the work of numerous laborers operating dangerous equipment (mowers, pruners, saws and other power tools) and hauling large volumes of soil, stones and mulch is itself a hazardous job.
At Levine Law, our Colorado Springs workers’ compensation attorneys can assist you with every part of your workers' comp claim if you get hurt on the job. Workers' comp is complicated – you'll need help meeting the filing deadlines, proving that your injury is work-related and appealing any denial of benefits. And with Levine Law's no/win, no/fee policy, you pay nothing unless you receive compensation.
