No employee, when heading in to work, thinks to himself or herself: “I’m going to get killed at work today.” But it happens, and there are some occupations where it happens more frequently. What are the most dangerous jobs?
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in 2012, 4,383 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States, down from a revised count of 4,693 fatal work injuries in 2011. The 2012 total represents the second-lowest preliminary total since CFOI was first conducted in 1992.
The rate of fatal work injury for U.S. workers in 2012 was 3.2 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, down from a rate of 3.5 per 100,000 in 2011.
See the related photo gallery "Dangerous Jobs: The Way We Worked Exhibit"
While that number is the average rate of fatal work injury, some occupations – many of which we recognize as dangerous and some that we do not – have a much higher rate.
For example, each year, 200 agricultural workers in the United States show up for work in the morning but don’t go home that night. For underwater welders, there were 30 deaths per 200 workers in 2012.
Drowning is a frequent cause of death for fishermen, but did you also know they are more likely to be struck by lighting than people in any other occupation?
So take a look at this infographic from Westermans International and the next time you find yourself bored at work and yearning for something more exciting, think about the underwater welders of the world and consider yourself lucky.
