If you’re a logger, pilot or fisherman, you know that working in remote environments, sometimes far away from civilization increases the risk of life-threatening accidents on the job. In fact, these occupations are so dangerous, year after year they remain at the top of the list of most dangerous jobs in America, and this is demonstrated in the latest data released by the Bureau of Statistics (BLS) in December of 2017.
In 2016, a total of 5,190 civilian workers died in workplace accidents – that’s approximately 3.6 fatalities per 100,000 full-time employees, a 7% increase in deaths from the previous year, which was 4,836 in 2015.
Logging tops the list at #1 with 135.9 fatal accidents per 100,000 workers in 2016. Ranking in at #2 are fishermen at 86 deaths per 100,000 workers. Roofers, trash collectors, iron workers, and sales drivers are included in the list of top 10 most dangerous jobs in America, according to the 2016 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released by the BLS.
To 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in 2016
- Logging workers
- Fisherman
- Pilots
- Roofers
- Recycling and trash collectors
- Steel and iron workers
- Truck drivers and sales drivers
- Ranchers and farmers
- Construction supervisors
- People who work in grounds maintenance
(Source: Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2016)
WHAT WAS THE MOST COMMON FATAL ACCIDENT?
The logging and fishing industries may be the most dangerous, but the most common fatal accident in 2016 involved transportation fatalities, such as car and truck accidents. “Work injuries involving transportation incidents remained the most common fatal event in 2016, accounting for 40 percent (2,083),” according to the BLS.
Interestingly, workplace violence and injuries caused by people and animals increased significantly by 23 percent, in effect becoming the second leading cause of occupational deaths in 2016. The BLS reported on two other types of fatal events, which saw large changes and they were “exposure to harmful substances” and “exposure to harmful environments,” which increased by a whopping 22 percent in 2016. Fires and explosions on the other hand, declined sharply at 27 percent.
Have you been injured in a workplace accident, or has someone you loved died on the job? If so, contact our firm at once to meet with a New York workers’ compensation attorney.
