Drivers and Athletes: 25 Most Dangerous Occupations in the US

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018 there were 5250 fatal injuries associated with work, which is slightly higher than in 2017. Although no job is completely risk free, most jobs are relatively safe. However, there are quite a few professions that are much more dangerous, and where the risk of dying is more than 10 times higher than other professions. Writes about this USA Today.

Фото: Depositphotos

To identify the 25 most dangerous jobs in America, a survey of fatal injuries was conducted for 71 occupations as part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Industrial Injuries. These professions are ranked based on the number of fatal accidents in 2018 per 100 full-time workers.

These dangerous jobs are often associated with the use of heavy equipment and often take place in dangerous places, such as on the roof of a building or in a remote desert.

Despite the dangers these workers face every day, many of them do not receive high compensation. Most jobs on this list have an average annual salary of less than $ 41.

25. Drivers of industrial trucks and tractors

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 6,8 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 44 fatal injuries, 4970 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: traffic accidents
• Average annual salary: $ 34.

These workers typically move materials to places such as warehouses, construction sites, or factories using equipment such as forklifts or trucks. Work usually requires precise control and coordination, as accidents can lead to serious injuries and sometimes death. In 2018, 44 industrial accidents were recorded among operators of industrial trucks and tractors, or 6,8 for every 100 people working by profession.

Other potential hazards, such as overvoltage and falls, as well as inadvertent contact with objects or equipment, also led to thousands of fatal injuries in 2018.

24. Athletes, coaches, referees and related employees

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 7,6 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 22 fatal injuries, 1090 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: traffic accidents
• Average annual salary: $ 33

Such work can often require a lot of travel, and travel can be dangerous. In 2018, 22 deaths occurred among athletes, coaches, referees and related employees, and 18 of these cases were related to a traffic accident, such as a car accident.

Serious injuries in this area of ​​activity have other, much more common causes. For example, overstrain or bodily harm, such as sprain, accounted for almost half of 1090 injuries among Americans in 2018.

23. Mechanics and installers of heating, conditioning and cooling systems

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 8,5 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 40 fatal injuries, 6900 non-fatal injuries
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: falls
• Average annual salary: $ 28

Mechanics and installers of heating, air conditioning and cooling systems usually work in uncomfortable conditions, including in confined spaces and at high temperatures or low temperatures. Workplace hazards may include, but are not limited to, electric shocks, burns, muscle strain, and injuries associated with lifting heavy equipment. Falls accounted for the largest share of 40 workplace accidents in 2018.

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22. Electricians

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 8,8 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 80 fatal injuries, 6350 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: exposure to hazardous substances or the environment.
• Average annual salary: $ 55

Electricians repair and install power systems in a wide variety of conditions, often working with hazardous voltages. In 2018, 80 electricians died and more than 6300 were injured while working. Nearly half of these deaths occurred as a result of exposure to harmful substances or the environment, including electric shock.

21. Specialists in bus and freight mechanics and diesel engines

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 9,5 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 39 fatal injuries, 3610 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: contact with objects and equipment
• Average annual salary: $ 47,350

Mechanics work to upgrade or repair large vehicles with diesel engines. The vehicles, as well as the objects on which mechanics must work, pose serious hazards - 17 people in this field died in 2018 as a result of contact with objects or equipment associated with this occupation. Other causes of death include fires and explosions.

20. Construction equipment operators

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 10,6 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 39 fatal injuries, 2280 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: traffic accidents
• Average annual salary: $ 47

Construction sites can be particularly hazardous working conditions, and people working with heavy equipment such as bulldozers, wheel loaders, scrapers and oil rigs are at a relatively high risk of serious injury during operation. Hazardous working conditions may include falling objects, other work equipment, and power lines. In 2018, there were 39 fatal injuries and 2280 non-fatal but serious injuries among Americans working in this specialty.

19. Mining machine operators

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 11 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 9 fatal injuries, 370 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: contact with objects and equipment
• Average annual salary: $ 52

Mining has long been one of the most dangerous professions in the world, because it involves working far underground in potentially unstable tunnels with coal dust or other flammable materials. One of the worst workplace disasters in history has been mine collapses or explosions.

Today, improved safety regulations and technology have dramatically reduced the likelihood of death at work, but mining is still very dangerous.

18. Maintenance and repair workers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 12,5 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 64 fatal injuries, 21 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: contact with objects and equipment
• Average annual salary: $ 38

Maintenance and repair workers repair and maintain equipment and buildings. Work can be dangerous, as maintenance and repair workers often work in uncomfortably hot or cold conditions, in cramped spaces, or on top of stairs.

17. Construction workers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 13 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 259 fatal injuries, 20 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: falls
• Average annual salary: $ 35

Construction sites are some of the most dangerous working conditions, and construction workers are much more prone to serious injuries than most American workers. On a given day, a construction worker can perform a wide range of tasks, including moving materials, installing scaffolding, digging trenches and removing rubbish and other potential hazards from construction sites.

Because their work often occurs outdoors in all weather conditions—and sometimes at high altitudes—falls accounted for the largest share of the 259 fatal injuries among construction workers in 2018.

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16. Police and sheriff officers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 13,7 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 108 fatal injuries, 380 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: violence and other injuries
• Average annual salary: $ 61

Police and patrol officers are responsible for maintaining law and order and ensuring public safety, which often means interacting with dangerous and violent individuals. In 2018, more than 100 police and patrol officers were killed in the line of duty. Most of these deaths were related to injuries caused by other people or animals.

Police work may also include driving at high speeds, and many police deaths in 2018 were also caused by traffic accidents.

15. Supervisors of mechanics, installers and repairmen

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 15,1 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 46 fatal injuries, 3100 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: violence and other injuries from people or animals
• Average annual salary: $ 66

Maintenance and repair workers are among the most dangerous jobs in the United States with a fatal injury rate of 12,5 per 100 workers, and those who control them are often at even greater risk of serious injury or death with a fatal injury rate of 000 per 15,1 employees.

The largest share of fatal injuries among field workers occurred due to violent interactions with other people or animals.

14. Construction assistants

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 15,8 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 11 fatal injuries, 3460 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: falls
• Average annual salary: $ 31

Work may require the fulfillment of a number of physical tasks in all weather conditions, often on scaffolding or stairs at high altitudes. Of the 11 deaths among construction assistants in 2018, six were related to falls. Over 1000 non-fatal injuries were also caused by falls.

13. Agricultural workers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 18 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 157 fatal injuries, 13 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: traffic accidents
• Average annual salary: $ 24

Work on farms can include the use of heavy equipment, which can be dangerous. Transport accidents, such as car accidents, accounted for the largest share of fatal workplace injuries for various agricultural workers in 2018, followed by accidental contact with equipment and other objects.

12. Service technicians

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 18,6 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 225 fatal injuries, 13 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of fatal accidents: equipment problems
• Average annual salary: $ 29

Maintenance workers usually work outdoors, maintaining the landscape and territory of houses, campuses, hotels, parks, etc. The work can be physically difficult and can be performed in any weather conditions. Work can be hazardous, in large part because of the type of equipment that workers regularly use, such as chainsaws, pruners, and lawn mowers.

11. Installers and repairmen of power lines

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 19,3 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 29 fatal injuries, 1 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: exposure to hazardous substances or the environment.
• Average annual salary: $ 70

Power line installers and repairmen install and repair infrastructure such as electricity, telecommunications, and fiber optic cables. Because people in this profession work around high-voltage electrical wires and often at significant heights, this work is considered one of the most dangerous in the United States. In 2018, 1 serious injuries were caused to installers and power line repairmen, and 490 people were killed at workplaces.

10. Supervisors of lawn and lawn care workers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 20,2 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 48 fatal injuries, 1 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: falls
• Average annual salary: $ 48

In 2018, 48 work-related deaths were recorded. Such workers often work in high positions, and the largest share of fatal injuries among field workers was due to falls. Work can also be physically difficult, and the most common source of 1 non-fatal injuries for people in this profession in 990 was overstrain.

9. Supervisor of construction professions

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 21 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 144 fatal injuries, 5 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: transport incidents
• Average annual salary: $ 65

In 2018, there were 144 fatal work-related injuries among employees, or 21 per 100 workers.

Job responsibilities vary, but often include checking progress, equipment and safety measures to ensure full compliance. Injuries from falls are the most common cause of serious injuries and the second most common cause of death at work.

8. Metallurgical industry employees

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 23,6 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 15 fatal injuries, 800 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: falls
• Average annual salary: $ 53

Metallurgical workers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. The installation of load-bearing structures for buildings and bridges not only requires great physical effort, but is also dangerous because it is often performed at high altitudes. In 2018, 15 people were killed among workers in the metallurgical and steel production, the largest share being associated with falls.

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7. Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 24,7 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 257 fatal injuries, 280 non-fatal injuries.
• Most Common Cause of Fatal Accident: Technological Incidents
• Average annual salary: $ 67

Farmers, ranchers and others who work in agriculture often work with large animals and potentially dangerous machinery. This line of work exposes people to injuries from animals, vehicle accidents, and exposure to dangerous equipment—each of which resulted in dozens of deaths in 2018.

6. Truck drivers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 26 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 966 fatal injuries, 78 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: traffic accidents
• Average annual salary: $ 38

Truck drivers work in one of the largest industries in the U.S. economy, employing more than 3 million people. Because these drivers spend hours on the road hauling cargo, many of the injuries and deaths are related to transportation. Truck drivers have one of the highest rates of fatal injuries, at 966, as well as one of the highest rates of non-fatal injuries, at more than 78.

5. Garbage and recyclables

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 44,3 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 37 fatal injuries, 1 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: traffic accidents
• Average annual salary: $ 37

In 2018, the number of fatal injuries from garbage collectors and recyclable materials amounted to 44,3 deaths per 100 workers. As garbage collectors spend days traveling around the area, traffic accidents are the most common cause of fatal injuries at this job.

4. Roofers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 51,5 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 96 fatal injuries, 2060 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: falls
• Average annual salary: $ 39

Roofing is one of four occupations with fatal injury rates exceeding 2018 fatalities per 50 full-time workers in 100. Roof installation or replacement work is often performed at significant heights, increasing the risk of serious injury. In fact, 000 of the 74 fatal accidents involving work-related injuries were classified as falls.

3. Aviation pilots and flight engineers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 58,9 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 70 fatal injuries, 490 non-fatal injuries.
• Most Common Cause of Fatal Accident: Transport Injuries
• Average annual salary: $ 115

The most common injuries to aircraft pilots and flight engineers are related to transport. For pilots involved in any crash, injuries can be fatal. Pilot work can be extremely difficult due to mental stress and demanding planning, and fatigue is a risk. These risks, however, are well rewarded: the average annual wage is almost three times higher than the average for all professions.

2. Fishermen and related fishing workers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 77,4 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 30 fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: drowning
• Average annual salary: no data

Anglers and associated fishery workers had one of the highest rates of fatal injuries in 2018. Commercial fishing is largely physical work involving fishing nets, equipment and slippery decks. Fishers and associated fishery workers may also be exposed to environmental factors such as extreme weather conditions.

In addition, workers may go to water or work from a remote area when an accident occurs and where easy access to a hospital or health care provider may not be available. Most of the dead among fishers and related workers are related to drowning.

1. Forest managers

• Fatal injury rate in 2018: 97,6 per 100 employees.
• Total injuries in 2018: 56 fatal injuries, 1 non-fatal injuries.
• The most common cause of a fatal accident: contact with objects and equipment
• Average annual salary: $ 40

With nearly 100 fatal injuries per 100 workers, logging is the most dangerous job in the United States. Lumberjacks work with dangerous tools, such as chainsaws and machinery, to cut down heavy trees that can sometimes fall on workers. Mortality may also be higher among loggers because they often work in remote areas, away from the medical care they may need.

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