What are the most dangerous jobs?
From the office to the construction site, workplace injuries can happen in any occupation. Some occupations are far more dangerous than others and have a high rate of injuries and fatalities.
According to an article in EHS Today, COVID-19 has been a game-changer for workplace safety, especially in healthcare settings. We won't know exactly how dangerous healthcare settings are until the workplace injury and death statistics for 2020 are reported and released.
In the meantime, the latest statistics we have are from 2018. The most dangerous occupations listed by EHS Today are purely based on injuries or deaths caused by workplace accidents. Overall, 2018 wasn't a good year for workplace safety. There was a two percent increase in workplace fatalities from 2017 — that's 5,147 to 5,250 worker deaths.
Top 10 most dangerous jobs
Many of the occupations mentioned have been on the "most dangerous" list for several years due to the nature of the job. Some ranking slots were switched, however.
Each occupation is ranked by fatal work injury rate per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. The data used to create this list was taken from 2018 statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to EHS Today, the top 10 most dangerous jobs are currently:
- Logging workers — 56 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal worker injury rate of 97.6
- Fishers and fishing workers — 30 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 77.4
- Aircraft pilots and flight engineers — 70 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 58.9
- Roofers — 96 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 51.5
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors — 37 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 44.3
- Truck drivers — 966 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 26
- Farmers, ranchers and agricultural managers — 257 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 24.7
- Iron and steel workers — 15 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 23.6
- Construction first-line supervisor — 144 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 21
- Landscaping first-line supervisors — 48 worker deaths in 2018 and fatal work injury rate of 20.2
Contact a Pennsylvania workers' compensation attorney if you were hurt on the job
The Pennsylvania workers' compensation attorneys at Vellner Law, PC help clients who have been hurt on the job obtain financial benefits while they recover.
If you sustained an injury at work, we can help you properly fill out all required paperwork, prepare documents for trial and negotiate with insurance companies for a fair settlement. We also help clients who are unable to return to work due to a serious injury or disability.
To maximize your chances of getting compensated, contact our law firm. We serve clients in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Lehigh Valley.