Safety should be the top priority of any job site. Businesses must provide their workers with both adequate safety training and well-maintained equipment.
Although government agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have made workplaces safer than ever, there’s still a startling 5,250 workplace deaths per year in the U.S. A large number of those incidents are concentrated in these five hazardous professions.
Waste Collectors
Nationwide, more than 115,000 people pick up trash and recyclables each day. With so many hours on the road, especially hanging on to the back of trucks, it’s no surprise that waste collection is one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. Nearly 1,500 (about 1-in-76) waste collectors suffer injuries each year. The most common cause? Traffic accidents.
Roofers
Roofing is an inherently hazardous job. Workers carry thousands of pounds of materials to a roof, usually dozens of feet in the air and on slanted surfaces. A slip could become a serious injury or even a deadly accident. While other occupations see more fatal workplace accidents, there are more than 2,000 serious roofing injuries per year. That means there’s a 1-in-77 chance of any roofer in the U.S. will experience a serious accident each year.
Pilots and Aircraft Engineers
The airline industry is massive, requiring armies of pilots and maintenance workers to keep the ship running smoothly. Unfortunately, accidents are common. Between maintenance injuries and plane crashes, the airline industry sees roughly 70 deaths and almost 500 serious injuries per year.
Fishers
The fishing industry is small but surprisingly dangerous. Each year, about 40,000 fishermen take to the seas. Roughly 30 of them (1-in-1,300) workers do not return. Many of these accidents are caused by swinging equipment, rocking waves, and bad weather.
Loggers
Logging is, by far, the most dangerous job in the U.S. In a profession with only 53,000 workers, more than 1-in-50 will be seriously injured every year. And each year, 1-in-1000 lumber workers will lose their lives in workplace accidents. The most common cause of these tragic accidents? Equipment mishandling.
If you or someone you love suffered serious injuries or even wrongful death in a workplace accident, we can help. If you’d like to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Indianapolis attorney from Wagner Reese to evaluate your case, please call us at (888) 204-8440.
