Most Dangerous Jobs In The U.S. According To OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recorded 5,486 workplace fatalities in 2022, slightly up from the 5,190 fatalities recorded in 2021.
While these tragic fatal accidents are spread out across all industries, OSHA’s statistics reveal that some jobs are more dangerous than others.
The national average for workplace deaths across all occupations is 3.7 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers. Some of the jobs that make OSHA’s list of the most dangerous jobs have fatality rates that are 20 to 30 times higher than the national average.
Based on the number of workplace fatalities in 2022, these seven occupations are considered to be the most hazardous jobs in the country:
1. Logging Workers
Loggers cut and transport large trees from forested areas for use as building and other materials. Heavy machinery, sharp power tools, and the trees themselves can be unforgiving and unpredictable. The environment can also be noisy, leading workers to become unaware of the dangers around them.
The risks of this occupation are reflected in the occupation’s fatality rate of 100.7 per 100,000 workers, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
2. Roofers
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls from a height of less than 10 feet may prove deadly. While roofing deaths can be prevented through the use of fall prevention harnesses, some companies and roofers refuse to use them, as doing so may slow their progress.
According to the BLS, roofers experience 57.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers.
3. Fishermen and Hunters
Fishermen and hunters face dangers not only from the firearms and machinery they work with but also from nature.
Exposure to the elements and hazards in the natural environment, combined with the inherent risks of these occupations, leads to this industry’s BLS-assigned fatality rate of 50.9 per 100,000 workers.
4. Construction Workers
The dangers of construction sites include heavy machinery, power tools and equipment, electrical dangers, and toxic materials.
Additionally, many construction sites are loud and chaotic, making it difficult for workers to remain safe. The BLS calculated the fatality rate for construction jobs as 38.5 per 100,000 full-time employees.
5. Pilots and Flight Engineers
U.S. commercial airliners experienced only two fatal accidents between 2010 and 2021. However, this does not mean that the aviation industry itself is safe.
Several hundred crashes involving general aviation and private aircraft occur every year. This explains, in part, why the BLS gave the aviation industry a 35.9 per 100,000 fatality rate.
6. Semi Truck and Delivery Drivers
Large commercial vehicles are dangerous to other motorists on the road and the drivers operating them.
Although a rig can offer greater protection in a crash than a smaller vehicle, violent wrecks at highway speeds can still cause fatal injuries to truckers.
According to the BLS, in 2022, the industry experienced an average of 30.4 deaths for every 100,000 full-time workers.
7. Sanitation and Recycling Workers
Like construction workers and others on this list, refuse processing and recycling workers work in a noisy environment around heavy machinery.
Garbage collection puts workers on the road around other traffic. Both environments carry a risk of fatal injuries, which is why the industry saw a fatality rate of 22.6 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2022, according to the BLS.
Lessons To Take from The Most Dangerous Jobs
The seven most dangerous jobs in America have some similarities. These occupations are mostly in an industrial or outdoor environment where workers must perform their jobs around or with heavy-powered machinery.
While these circumstances raise the risk of a fatal accident, injuries and deaths can occur in any workplace, and all employers and employees should follow OSHA safety practices.
Contact our Denver Personal Injury Law Firm Today For Help
For more information please contact Zaner Harden Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation.
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