In December 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released data on work-related injuries and deaths in the United States for the preceding year. The statistics showed that in 2018 the fatal work-related injuries rate was 3.5 per 100,000 workers, the same as it had been in 2017. From 2017 to 2018, there was a slight increase in work-related deaths in the United States, with the latter year seeing a total of 5,250.
On the basis of BLS data, CNBC put together a list of the 10 most dangerous jobs in the United States. What follows are the top four.
1. Logging
Compared to the total rate of fatal work-related injuries in 2018, the rate in the logging industry was 28 times higher. Part of the risk of logging is the potential for an accident involving the equipment used to fell trees. Workers in the logging industry are also at risk of injuries from falling objects.
2. Commercial fishing
The work involved in commercial fishing is physically demanding and often involves long hours. Falls from boats are among the most common accidents to occur in the fishing industry.
3. Commercial flight
Transportation accidents accounted for 40% of all work-related fatalities in the United States in 2018. Plane crashes are an example of potentially devastating transportation-related accidents. Most occur in the private sector while transporting cargo or passengers.
4. Roofing
Roofers may work in uncomfortable weather conditions performing tasks that involve bending, climbing, lifting and other demanding forms of physical labor. Fall risk is a major hazard for roofers because they often work several stories above the ground.
Some jobs necessarily involve greater inherent risk. However, the almost unchanged statistics on job-related fatalities indicate that there is more to do to improve workplace safety.