Job Safety Ratings Reviewed: How Does Your Occupation Stack Up?

It’s no secret that we risk being injured in almost everything we do. Products malfunction, human errors occur, accidents happen; but what happens when your risk for injury is dramatically increased by the type of work you do?

Each day, employees are injured in workplace accidents, usually caused by the negligent, reckless or dangerous acts of another. Some employees experience financial hardship resulting from a loss of income while recovering from an injury. Unfortunately, others may be permanently disabled and unable to return to work.

CareerCast analyzed the most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to put together a list of the most dangerous jobs in America, as reported in 2016. Some of these may be surprising, while others are to be expected.

1. Construction Worker: Working in construction is not without risk. Working with heavy machinery, falling objects, heights and scaffolding, and hazardous chemicals can often result in injury or fatality. According to NYCOSH’s report Deadly Skyline, An Annual Report on Construction Fatalities in New York State, “In the decade beginning in 2006 and ending in 2015, 464 construction workers died while on the job across New York State. New York State construction worker fatality rates have been trending upward.”
2. Corrections Officer: Corrections Officers often tread a fine line while working with incarcerated individuals. As reported April 1, 2017, there were 19,322 Corrections Officers, Sergeants, and Lieutenants working in New York State Correctional Facilities, compared to 51,378 inmates. Working with these populations is tough when you’re outnumbered, as shown by the 174 reported assaults on staff in the first quarter of 2017.
3. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): EMTs are often the first to respond to an emergency situation, sometimes when danger is still present. In 2014, the year in which the most recent data was available, 21,300 EMTs were treated in emergency rooms for occupational injuries in the United States.
4. Farmer: According to the CDC, “Every day, about 167 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work-time injury. Five percent of these injuries result in permanent impairment.” While farmers may not immediately come to mind while living on Long Island, over 10,000 farmers are employed across the island, making for more than a billion-dollar industry.
5. Firefighter: Just like EMTs, firefighters are often the first to respond on the scene when there is a car accident or fire. Burns and smoke inhalation are two hazards of working as a firefighter. 68,085 firefighter injuries were reported in the U.S in 2015. Of these, 29,130 were injuries at the fire ground.
6. Nurse’s Aide: Because they frequently lift people and do other physically demanding tasks, nursing assistants and orderlies have a higher rate of injury and illness than the national average. They are typically trained in how to properly lift and move patients, which can reduce the risk of injury.
7. Police Officer: Police officers respond to dangerous situations ranging from routine traffic stops turned violent to car accidents where danger may still be present to homicides and home invasions. According to statistics collected by the FBI, “86 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2015. Of these, 41 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 45 officers died in accidents. In addition, 50,212 officers were victims of line-of-duty assaults.”
8. Taxi Driver: Perhaps surprisingly, “Taxi drivers’ homicide rates were between 21 and 33 times higher than the national average for all workers.” Taxi drivers often work overnight shifts and drive strangers in their cars. This leads to increased rates of assault, robbery, and murder of taxi drivers and chauffeurs. Think of this the next time you rate your Uber driver!
9. Truck Driver: Truck drivers rank among the top 10 most dangerous jobs, mostly resulting from high incidents of accidents and loading and unloading stress injuries. “During 2012, 756 truck drivers lost their lives in work-related incidents, while over 65,000 private sector truck drivers suffered injuries and illnesses that resulted in time away from work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).”
10. Veterinarian: When our pets are sick, it’s easy to forget that veterinarians put themselves in harm’s way to take care of them. According to the study published in the August 2015 issue of the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association, the 3 most common types of injury for veterinarians are bites; cuts, lacerations or scratches; and bruises or contusions.

Does your profession rank among the top 10? If you’re injured in a work-related injury, our Long Island work injury attorneys at The Odierno Law Firm, P.C. can help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to learn more.

Related: Can You Sue Employer for an On-the-Job Injury?