10 Most Dangerous Jobs in the US and How to Reduce the Risks

Table of contents:

• Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in the United States
• Are Dangerous Occupations Getting Safer?
• How to Mitigate the Dangers in the Workplace
• How Can You Strengthen Personal Safety During Work Hours

 

Despite most work environments constantly getting safer, there's still a lot to improve. As we've emphasized in our past article about women's safety in the workplace, all parties must cooperate for better results. Employer initiative, employee awareness, and well-laid-out national policy are the compounds of job safety. Such collaboration is particularly critical in areas with an excessive rate of workplace fatality and occupational injuries.

Would you like to know the most dangerous jobs to avoid them or be extra careful? Find a list with statistics in our blog post. It would give you valuable insights into burning issues. You will also learn safety tips at work to increase your employees' safety.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in the United States

The list of occupations with an excessive risk of work-related injuries and fatal accidents relies on the Bureau of Labor Statistics research. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) summarizes the total number of severe occupational injuries and deaths. Additionally, it introduces the rate of fatal incidents. Jobs with the highest fatal injury rate are the riskiest.

	Total deaths	Fatal Injury Rate, deaths per 100,000 people
Fishers and Related Workers	42	132.1
Loggers	35/42	91.7
Roofers	88	47
Construction Workers	19	43.3
Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers	50	34.3
Structural Iron and Steel Workers	16	32.5
Agricultural Industry Workers	589	20.9
Grounds Maintenance Workers	229	18
Line supervisors of Landscaping	121	15.3
Police Patrol Officers	121	13.4

 

Here are some other valuable details about the hazards of these most dangerous jobs. Mind them while choosing any of these jobs as your career.

1. Fishers and Related Workers

Commercial fishers are permanently exposed to life-threatening risks. The danger in the workplace stems from inclement weather and numerous accidental factors associated with operating machines and vessels. Unsurprisingly, most death injuries in this area occur due to transportation incidents.

2. Loggers

Logging and timber cutting remain among the most dangerous jobs nationwide. According to expert estimates, loggers get fatally injured 30-40 times more often than other US workers.

3. Roofers

Falling off scaffolds and other equipment for working at height causes most fatal accidents among roofers. Unfortunately, the discouraging statistics reflect an almost equally high fatality rate year-to-year.

4. Construction Workers

The range of construction safety risks is quite broad. We've outlined the most efficient preventive measures in our past article. Check it if you're an employer or contractor.

5. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers

Although plane crashes are rare, many people are affected when they happen. Most importantly, most crashes are fatal. Therefore, these jobs are relatively dangerous.

6. Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Ironworkers involved in structural engineering and construction development endanger themselves in many ways. The most common job accidents in their area happen due to heavy load drops and falling from heights.

7. Agricultural Industry Workers

Hazardous pesticides and fertilizers pose a significant danger in the workplace for agricultural workers. These could be "silent killers," leading to the development of chronic diseases and even disability in the long-term perspective. However, transportation accidents are the leading cause of death in the agricultural industry. 

8. Grounds Maintenance Workers

The job of groundskeepers and gardeners is not as safe as it appears. Most ground maintenance workers get badly injured while in transportation or because of accidental falls, trips, and slips. Working next to heavy machinery also poses a significant risk of trauma.

9. Line Supervisors of Landscaping

Supervisors who direct and manage landscapers in their job are typically less prone to occupational hazards and traumas. They take the role of instructors and inspectors. So they rarely engage with dangerous objects and equipment. However, they may fall to death during height work, such as tree trimming.

10. Police Patrol Officers

Surprisingly, law enforcers don't take the top chart in the high-fatality jobs list. In fact, the number of officer deaths mainly declined from 2010 to 2020. However, there was a considerable increase in on-duty fatalities in 2021, primarily due to intentional shootings.

Are Dangerous Occupations Getting Safer?

In general, constant reassessment of work-related risks and federal governments' control of safety standards compliance is fruitful. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and labor advocates have done a great job through the years. Because of their influence, workers are encouraged to report work-related injuries and illnesses. This, in turn, helps to implement timely improvements that reduce risks and ensure a safe work environment. 

Specifically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 5.7 decrease in total work fatalities between 2019 and 2020. In the same period, cases of death on the job among construction workers reduced by 5.3% – from 1,061 to 1,008 in total. Yet there are more workplace safety challenges for US businesses to overcome.

In 2021 most industries were recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic impact. It largely shaped the current trends of health and safety protection in the work environment. So it likely will influence the further reassessment of work health safety policies.

How to Mitigate the Dangers in the Workplace

To confront the challenges of harmful occupational factors, an employer should comply with OSHA standards. Those are industry-specific requirements to guide business owners in maintaining and enhancing a safe environment for personnel. Additionally, we recommend following the next safety tips at work.

Abide by Federal & State Safety Regulations

Along with federal-level safety regulations, many states have their own standards for safe work. State governments develop them under federal state plans approved by OSHA. Find more details on the OSHA website.

Conduct Workplace Safety Training

Line supervisors and administration must introduce the recently hired employee to occupational safety basics. Moreover, training should evolve as the worker takes on new responsibilities associated with additional hazards and health risks. Personnel must know the existing safety protocols, including emergency reporting and response procedures. Finally, it's vital to provide regular refreshing training for your team.

Conduct Risk Assessment

Risk assessment reveals workplace safety blindspots. So a good start is to initiate regular inspections by corporate or independent officials. The comprehensive examination will help prioritize the most frequent occupational safety hazards and develop robust risk management.

Pay Attention to Personal Protection Equipment

Ensure timely replacement and supply of PPE, as they are the first frontier of protection against work-related injuries and illnesses. The law obligates employers to instruct workers on the proper use of PPE. Additionally, you must examine the available PPE before and after hazardous jobs to ensure it is undamaged.

How Can You Strengthen Personal Safety During Work Hours

Timely feedback to your supervisor on the poor condition of PPE or insufficient safety measures is essential. Operative reporting on dangerous situations is a life-saver in almost every work area.

Considering this, you can immensely benefit from a personal safety tracking app like AllsWell Alert. This mobile solution can send requests for emergency aid instantly and guarantee a prompt response from your colleagues or security guards.

The AllsWell Alert app is a simple and reliable product helping you reach out to emergency contacts and inform them of your exact location. The emergency SOS feature supports an on-screen panic button and automatic alert triggering from inactivity monitoring. Thus, you can alert your colleagues and family in an emergency even if the phone is out of your reach.

Download AllsWell Alert from Google Play or AppStore to turn your smartphone into a full-fledged safety tracking device! Newly signed-up users get a one-month free trial.