Based on the latest BLS data, and primary professional dangers noted
by the BLS and Forbes, the following jobs have the highest fatality
rates in the U.S.

1) Fishers and Fishing Workers
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 142
Total Deaths: 51
Dangers: Work in all kinds of weather, often hundreds of miles from
shore with no help readily available; crew members risk falling on
slippery decks, leading to serious injuries or falling overboard;
potential hazards include malfunctioning fishing gear and becoming
entangled in nets.

2) Pilots and Flight Engineers
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 88
Total Deaths: 101
Dangers: Risky conditions are most acute for test pilots, who check
equipment for new, experimental planes, as well as crop dusters, who
are exposed to toxins and sometimes lack a regular landing strip;
helicopter pilots often engage in dangerous rescue.

3) Loggers
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 82
Total Deaths: 64
Dangers: Loggers are susceptible to high winds, falling branches and
hidden roots or vines that present great risks around chain saws and
other heavy equipment.

4) Iron and Steel Workers
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 61
Total Deaths: 36
Dangers: Most work at considerable heights, with the greatest cause of
injury or death coming from falls.

5) Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Deaths per 100,000 workers: 42
Total Deaths: 38
Dangers: Some also work at great heights, occasionally in extreme
weather; often, workers are exposed to fumes and hazardous materials
that can impair their respiratory systems.

Rounding out the top 10 U.S. jobs with the highest fatality rates:
farmers and ranchers (38 deaths for every 100,000 workers); electrical
power line workers (35/100,000); roofers (34/100,000); drivers
(truckers and salespeople) (27/100,000); and agricultural workers
(22/100,000).

Of the 5,703 fatal work injuries last year, 5,202 occurred in private
industry. Manufacturing fatalities were up 14 percent in 2006.


Resources

Bureau of Labor Statistics


America's Most Dangerous Jobs
by Tom Van Riper
Forbes, Aug. 13, 2007

Mine Agency Set to Beef Up Rescue Teams
by Mike Gorrell
The Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 09, 2007

Flooding In China Leaves 181 Miners Trapped
CityNews.ca, Aug. 18, 2007

China Pronounces 172 Miners Dead in Mining Disaster
by Agence France-Presse, Sept. 6, 2007

Image: Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch





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