Ten of the most dangerous jobs
How safe is your job?
Are you one of the many Americans working at high risk job on a daily basis for the sake of a paycheck? For a lot of you, avoiding imminent danger is just part of the job. Some of the most fundamentally important careers to our society are among the most dangerous.
In 2015, there were 4,836 fatal occupational injuries, almost half of which resulted from transportation incidents. Jobs that involve transportation, the use of heavy machinery or contact with violent people or animals have higher incident rates. However, not all jobs on the list are so obvious; some of the following may surprise you.
Below you will find a list of ten of the most dangerous jobs and the risks associated.
1. Construction Laborer
Construction as a whole is ranked as one of the most dangerous fields to work in, which makes sense, given the physical nature of the job. From operating all types of power tools to digging trenches, as a construction worker, you face numerous hazards each time you step on a job site.
2. Correction Officer
As a correction officer, you must always be on high alert. Some officers are tasked with guarding inmates in rehab and penal institutions, while others have the duty of transporting prisoners back-and-forth from holding to court hearings as well as maintaining peace in court rooms.
The rate of injury for a correction officer is 36 times that of the average American worker.
3. Emergency Medical Technician
Working as an EMT means you’re typically the first person called to the scene of an emergency. As first responders, EMTs go directly into critical situations to assist the injured. Often times, EMTs are in need of medical care themselves after doing their job.
4. Carpenters
Carpenters work with power tools on a daily basis. No matter how comfortable and experienced a carpenter may be with his or her tools, there is always the risk of an accident.
5. Firefighter
Firefighters risk their lives to save people from burning buildings and other emergency situations. Smoke inhalation, burns and falling debris are just some of the dangers you face working as a firefighter. There’s also a possibility of being exposed to hazardous chemicals or materials such as asbestos while on the scene.
6. Nursing Assistant
Nursing assistants have a very physically demanding job. As a nursing assistant, you’re constantly lifting and moving patients, which often leads to strain or other injuries. Other common injuries for nurses include those that involve physically violent patients (i.e. human bites, black eyes, bruises, scratches).
7. Police Officer
Police officers maintain order and enforce state and federal laws, often coming face-to-face with life threatening situations. As somebody who serves and protects, you come in contact with all walks of life and have no control over how a perpetrator or suspicious person might act in a given situation. Just like correction officers, police officers must always be on high alert.
8. Truck Driver
Truck drivers have a much higher risk for injury or death over most other professions because your job requires you to be on the road, which increases the chance of an accident. As a trucker you’re in charge of operating heavy tractor-trailers while driving for extended periods of time. Roadways can present hazardous conditions for truck drivers, whether it’s due to road construction or bad weather.
Other common injuries for truck driver include low back pain or strain from sitting in the same position as well as injuries from loading/unloading the truck.
9. Taxi Driver
This also includes anyone who drives for various driving apps. As a driver, you don’t have much control over who gets in your car, especially those driving a taxi. According to OSHA, taxi drivers are 20 times more likely to be murdered on the job than other workers in the United States.
Aside from the dangers potential riders can bring, your job also requires you to be on the road, which as stated above can have many other negative ramifications.
10. Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Operating any type of heavy machinery while paving a road or lot can come with significant risks, regardless of how closely you follow proper safety procedures. Not only are there risks when you are operating the equipment, but you can also face an injury if you are working near this type of equipment.
