Dangerous Jobs (part I)

If you work in any of these professions, you may want to double-check your health care has got you covered. Welcome to my blog, today I am counting down my picks for the top ten most dangerous jobs. For this list, we're counting down those jobs that are known for their danger level, specifically in regards to dying on the job and injuries you may receive while working

10) Construction Worker

When you're literally creating a building from the ground up, there's bound to be some accidents along the way. Similar to a steel worker, and only slightly more dangerous, there are many things that can go wrong when you work in construction, from small injuries like splinters, trips, and cuts, to more serious things like falling from great heights or injuring yourself with one of the many dangerous tools used on the job. In the U.S., there were 215 reported deaths from construction accidents in 2013 alone, making this both a laborious and very dangerous occupation.

9) Farmer

While farming is definitely a noble and hard working profession, it is also far more dangerous than you would likely believe. Many farmers have to deal with extremely heavy and dangerous equipment, like cotton pickers and cane harvesters, on a daily basis, which can lead to injury or death. Another surprising factor that farmers need to contend with is animal attacks, which are included in the 220 fatalities that occurred in farming and agriculture-related occupations in 2013 in U.S. – and that’s even more deaths than construction workers that year! While farmers, ranchers and so on, do get to work in the beautiful outdoors, no one can say these are easy jobs. 

8) Police Officer

We think it goes without saying that if you dedicate your life's work to apprehending criminals, there's going to be some dangerous repercussions that go with it. Police officers deal with a large and varied assortment of deadly situations, such as shootouts, car chases, mentally unstable individuals, and even routine traffic stops that can always turn violent on a dime. According to NPR, 126 officers were killed in the line of duty in the U.S. in 2014, and the constant risk and unknown nature of the job make this a very dangerous one to have.

7) Truck Driver

Not only is it a lonely and dirty job, but truck drivers face an unusually large mortality rate. Drivers are forced to travel extremely large distances in a short amount of time, which is a prime instigator for fatigue - and a major cause of death in the field. Exhausted truck drivers make for sick truck drivers, but they can also lead to avoidable but deadly collisions and accidents on the road. In the States, an unbelievable 748 of them lost their lives in 2013 alone, meaning that there are roughly two deaths per day in the profession. 

#6: Waster Collector

Before making jokes and disrespecting this profession, just remember that it is very necessary and extremely dangerous work. There are a surprising number of ways to get your name on the casualty list for this job, including having to deal with hazardous or sharp materials that can easily puncture both the bag or containers and your skin. A garbage truck itself is also very dangerous, with accidents occurring in the crusher or through careless road collisions. Many things could go wrong, and unfortunately, many do.