Brains
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released a list of the 10 most deadly jobs in America. The national average rate of workplace fatalities is 3.5 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers. However, for those working dangerous jobs, the rate is much higher. Most workplace fatalities are transportation related. In fact, transportation accidents cause 40% of all workplace deaths. The next most common cause of death in the workplace is falls, slips, and trips, followed by violence and other injuries caused by person or animal, a category which includes workplace suicides.
10) Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Landscape supervisors must travel from worksite to worksite, exposing them to potential transportation accidents, which account for nearly half of all work-related fatalities.
Rate: 20.2 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: transportation related
9) Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Two-thirds of the fatalities in this field happened to independent workers or workers involved in a single task, short contract, or freelance work. Similar to landscape supervisors, construction and extraction supervisors must travel around the worksite.
Rate: 21 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: transportation related, followed by falls, slips, and trips
8) Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Structural iron and steel workers are responsible for installing and reinforcing iron and steel forms of buildings. Because they often work at great heights, they are required to wear safety harnesses. Unfortunately, in spite of this requirement, most fatalities in this field are caused by falls, slips, and trips.
Rate: 23.6 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: falls, slips, and trips
7) Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Workers
This group of workers are most commonly killed by transportation accidents, though farmers may often come into contact with equipment and machinery with deadly consequences.
Rate: 24.7 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: transportation related
6) Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers
With 40% of all workplace related deaths stemming from transportation accidents, it is no surprise that transportation workers suffer high workplace fatality rates. In 2018, this profession was the most dangerous, though it has since dropped to the sixth most deadly jobs in America.
Rate: 26 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: transportation related
5) Refuse and Recyclable Materials Collectors
This group of workers spends a lot of time on the road, driving to pick up refuse and recycling and transport those materials to their final destination. Some workers ride outside of the vehicle while performing their job, which often requires workers to perform duties on active roadways.
Rate: 44.3 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: transportation related
4) Roofers
Roofers repair, replace, and install roofs on buildings. Because they are required to perform work while high above the ground, roofers are at high risk of injury and death due to falls from a height.
Rate: 51.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: falls, slips, and trips
3) Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers
Those that fly commercially may initially be alarmed by this statistic; however, most fatalities in this field occur in the private sector. Again, most fatal accidents in this group occur in transportation incidents, though these fatalities are typically the result of plane crashes, not vehicle accidents.
Rate: 58.9 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: transportation related
2) Fishers and Related Fishing Workers
Unsurprisingly, most accidents in this field are transportation related; however, the mode of transportation in question are boats, rather than airplanes or motor vehicles. Included in this statistic are falls from boats into the ocean, as professional fishers may experience rough seas as they commercially fish.
Rate: 77.4 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: transportation related
1) Logging Workers
In a shocking twist, folks who work the most deadly jobs in America are killed by contact with objects and equipment, not transportation. Loggers can be killed by falling trees or by the equipment used to fell trees, including chainsaws. Logging is 28 times more fatal than the national average workplace fatality rate.
Rate: 97.6 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers
Most common fatal accidents: contact with objects and equipment
