Top 10 Most Hazardous and Dangerous Jobs in the U.S.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes data about fatal workplace injuries annually. This infographic, The 10 Most Hazardous Jobs in the U.S., illustrates the most recent data (from 2014) so people can see which jobs experience the highest rates of fatal injuries. Many of the dangerous professions may seem obvious, but others are more surprising. The numbers included in the infographic refer to the deaths that occur per 100,000 full-time employees in each profession.
The top two most hazardous jobs are logging and fishing, with fatality rates of 109.5 and 80.8 per 100,000 full-time workers, respectively. Other dangerous outdoor professions include roofing, farming, ironwork, and electrical/power line work. Industries related to transportation can also be dangerous; airline pilots/engineers and truck drivers also experience high fatality rates at work. Additional dangerous jobs are refuse and recyclable material collectors and first-line supervisors for construction and extraction work.
The overall fatality rate for all professions in the U.S. in 2014 was 3.4 per 100,000 full-time employees. The top 10 most hazardous jobs all have fatality rates much higher than the overall rate. The job coming in tenth on the list, first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction work, has a rate of 17.9 deaths per 100,000 full-time employees, more than five times the national rate. That means loggers, who have the most dangerous job, face a fatality rate more than 32 times the overall rate.
Common fatal injuries across these industries include roadway incidents, falls, struck by object/equipment accidents, exposures to harmful substances or environments, and fires and explosions. Of these, transportation-related incidents account for the largest total number of occupational fatalities. Overall, men experience more fatal work-related injuries than women, and older workers—those 45 and over—experience fatality rates higher than the average of 3.4. (Those 65 and over have a significantly higher rate of 10.7 per 100,000 full-time employees.)
The total number of fatal injuries increased 5 percent from 2013 to 2014, with over 4,800 deaths occurring in 2014. This number is the highest the U.S. has seen since 2008, according to the BLS. These 10 professions represent a large portion of those deaths, which means safety measures are very important in these industries. Safety organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provide regulations and guidance businesses in these industries can consult to improve safety. When injuries do occur, businesses can face citations and fines if safety measures aren’t followed, so it’s in everyone’s best interest that OSHA regulations receive the attention they deserve.
This infographic aims to highlight which jobs pose the biggest threat to workers and bring attention to the high fatality rates these sectors of the U.S. economy experience. It uses engaging illustrations with eye-catching colors and text to convey its message. Business owners, supervisors, and safety managers can use this infographic as a starting point for discussing safety in their workplaces. Viewers can also share it with friends, relatives, and colleagues to spread the word about workplace hazards in the United States.