Fatal Injuries at Work

The Most Dangerous Jobs in the U.S.

There are some jobs in America that are clearly more dangerous and deadly than others. Lower income workers and workers with less formal education are much more at-risk to face work-related conditions that are known to create a higher risk of fatal injuries. We at Sessions & Fleischman, LLC have tried to identify the most dangerous jobs, but this article focuses on workplace deaths and not the broader topic of workplace injuries.

The most recent Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is for the year 2019. There were 5,333 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2019.

The 5,333 fatal occupational injuries in 2019 is the highest number of work-related deaths since 2007. In America, a worker died every 99 minutes from a work-related injury in 2019. In assessing the most dangerous jobs, it is also important to recognize that there are some groups disproportionately impacted by risky and dangerous jobs. Deaths among older workers (55 and older) increased 8 percent from 1,863 in 2018 to 2,005 in 2019. Hispanic or Latino worker deaths increased 13 percent to 1,088 in 2019.

Fatal work injury rates per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers by selected occupations, 2019

Characteristic	Fatal injury rate
All workers(2)	3.5
Occupation
Fishing and hunting workers	145.0
Logging workers	68.9
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	61.8
Roofers	54.0
Helpers, construction trades	40.0
Refuse and recyclable material collectors	35.2
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	26.8
Structural iron and steel workers	26.3
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	23.2
Grounds maintenance workers	19.8

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Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

These are some of the most hazardous jobs in America:

1. Logging workers / pulpwood loggers

THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS TYPE OF WORK, AND THE NEXT MOST DANGEROUS JOB TYPE ISN’T EVEN CLOSE TO LOGGING AND PULPWOOD WORK IN TERMS OF DANGEROUSNESS.

Fatal injury rate: 111 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 56
Most common fatal accidents: Contact with objects and equipment

The most dangerous job in America is logging. Logging workers had a fatal accident rate that was 33 times the average job nationwide.

Logging workers harvest forests to provide the raw material for goods such as wood, paper, and cardboard, in addition to other industrial products. These workers spend almost all of their time outside in forests and other isolated areas.

Logging workers use heavy machinery to cut down trees and handle logs. It is surprising to a lot of people, but chainsaws are probably one of the least dangerous parts of logging and pulpwood work. Logging worker deaths are most often caused by contact with logging machines or logs.

2. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
Fatal injury rate: 53 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 70
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Aircraft pilots fly and navigate airplanes, helicopters, and other types of aircraft. In this profession, pilots are responsible for checking the condition of aircraft before and after flights, ensuring the aircraft is balanced, and planning for fuel and flight plans. Pilots also operate the aircraft, communicate with air traffic control, and monitor the aircraft’s systems during flight.

Most aircraft pilot fatalities occur in crashes of privately owned planes and helicopters rather than on regularly scheduled commercial jet aircraft.

3. Derrick operators in oil, gas, and mining
BLS Category: Derrick, rotary drill, and service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining
Fatal injury rate: 46 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 20
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents, contact with objects and equipment

These oil workers setup, maintain, and operate the derrick and drill equipment used to extract oil and gas and mine for materials. The derrick is the structure above a well that holds the drilling equipment, while the drill rotates to displace the earth. The derrick may also include pumps to extract the oil or other materials from the well.

Transportation incidents and contact with objects and equipment were the two leading causes of deaths, making this one of the most dangerous jobs in America.

4. Roofers / roofing workers
Fatal injury rate: 41 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 96
Most common fatal accidents: Falls, slips, trips

Roofers are responsible for installing, repairing, and replacing roofs on homes and buildings. Their work involves taking roofing materials such as shingles, metal, or other materials onto roofs and securing them. Roofers generally must use ladders or other equipment to climb on top of buildings. The most common cause of fatal work injury for roofers is falling off roofs or ladders.

It is surprising that OSHA has not stepped in to make substantive changes in the workplace safety requirements of this type of job.

5. Garbage collectors
Fatal injury rate: 34 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 37
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Also known as garbage collectors, refuse and recyclable material collectors collect our trash and recycling. Generally, these workers will drive a truck through neighborhoods and empty garbage bins and dumpsters into the trucks. Many bins are loaded by hand while some trucks have mechanical lifters. They then drive the trucks to a landfill or waste transfer station where the waste is unloaded from the truck.

The most common cause of death for these workers is being struck by a garbage truck or other vehicle.

6. Ironworkers
Fatal injury rate: 29 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 15
Most common fatal accidents: Falls, slips, trips

Ironworkers are responsible for installing iron and steel on buildings, bridges, and roads. Their work often consists of climbing up on large structures, unloading iron and steel, and signaling to crane operators. They also use equipment to cut, bend, and weld iron and steel. Steel and iron are some of the primary reinforcing materials for large scale buildings.

Falls are the most common fatal occupational accident for structural iron and steel workers.

7. Delivery drivers
Fatal injury rate: 27 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 966
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Delivery drivers load and unload trucks or cars and drive them to their destination within a local area. These workers generally pick up cargo, food, laundry or other items from distribution centers or stores and deliver them to homes and businesses. They also may communicate with customers to coordinate deliveries, collect payment for goods, and process paperwork such as delivery signatures.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death on the job for driver/sales workers and truck drivers.

8. Farmers
BLS Category: Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
Fatal injury rate: 26 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 257
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Farmers are responsible for producing crops and dairy products and raising animals for food. They are responsible for the process of planting and harvesting or feeding and caring for livestock. Additionally, farmers purchase supplies for their farms and purchase and maintain farming equipment. They also sell their crops or livestock on the open market.

Crashes, including tractor crashes, were the most common fatal injury for farmers.

9. Firefighting supervisors
BLS Category: First-line supervisors of fire fighting and prevention workers
Fatal injury rate: 20 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 14
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Firefighting supervisors are responsible for supervising and coordinating the work of firefighters. This work includes the prevention and control of fires. Some of the tasks that these supervisors perform include communicating and dispatching vehicles, evaluating fire size and condition, training and evaluating firefighters, and maintaining fire fighting equipment.

The most common cause of death on the job for firefighting supervisors is traffic crashes. Of course, fires and explosions make firefighting among the most dangerous jobs for any worker.

10. Power linemen
Fatal injury rate: 20 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 29
Most common fatal accidents: Exposure to harmful substances or environments

We usually see linemen working to restore and repair power lines in very bad weather conditions. The conditions in which they have to work make an already very difficult and challenging job that much more dangerous.

Power linemen are responsible for installing and maintaining overhead and underground power lines that supply electricity to homes and businesses. In this job, these workers drive power maintenance equipment to job sites, climb electrical poles or use bucket trucks, and test, install, or otherwise maintain electrical equipment.

The most common cause of death for power linemen is death from electrocution.

11. Agricultural workers
Fatal injury rate: 20 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 157
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Agricultural workers are responsible for tending crops and livestock. They may be tasked with planting, harvesting, and watering crops, along with maintaining irrigation systems and ditches. These workers can also use farm tools or equipment, as well as apply pesticides and fertilizers. For agricultural workers who work with livestock, they may be responsible for feeding animals and keeping animal living areas clean. Transportation incidents are the most common fatal accidents for agricultural workers, which can occur while these workers are moving between or to and from worksites.

12. Crossing guards
Fatal injury rate: 19 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 14
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Crossing guards are responsible for the flow of pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic at crosswalks, intersections, schools, and other places where pedestrians and vehicles come into contact with one another. In this job, crossing guards may stop traffic and help to guide pedestrians safely through crossings and intersections. Crossing guards can also work to direct traffic using signs, flags, or hand signals. The most common causes of death for crossing guards are transportation incidents, which occur when vehicles hit and kill crossing guards.

13. Crane operators
Fatal injury rate: 19 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 9
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents, Contact with objects and equipment

Crane and tower operators are responsible for the operation of cranes and other equipment used to lift materials, machines, or other objects. Crane operators often work at construction sites to lift building materials onto higher levels of a building, or at ports where they lift containers off of ships. The most common fatalities for crane operators occur when their cranes crash into or are hit by other vehicles, or when objects hit cranes or their operators.

14. Construction helpers
Fatal injury rate: 18 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 11
Most common fatal accidents: Falls, slips, trips

Construction helpers are construction workers who assist trade workers in the course of construction. These workers can include building equipment contractors, building finishing contractors, foundation and exterior contractors, and others. The most common cause of death for these workers are falls and trips on construction sites.

15. Landscaping supervisors
Fatal injury rate: 18 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 48
Most common fatal accidents: Falls, slips, trips

Landscaping supervisors are responsible for coordinating and supervising the work of landscapers, lawn maintenance workers, and groundskeepers. In this role, landscaping supervisors manage landscaping projects, enforce workplace standards, inspect work, and instruct workers in the proper techniques for performing landscaping work. The most common cause of death for landscaping workers is falls, which can occur when working from heights performing tasks such as tree trimming.

16. Highway maintenance workers
Fatal injury rate: 18 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 14
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Highway maintenance workers are responsible for maintaining highways, roads, freeways, runways, and other types of roads. They can perform work such as patching potholes, fixing rails and fences, replacing and repainting road markers, and removing snow or ice. Other tasks that these workers perform include fixing road signs, maintaining roadside shrubbery, and resurfacing roads. The most common cause of death for these workers is vehicle crashes, which can occur when highway workers are working on active roadways.

17. Cement masons
Fatal injury rate: 17 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 11
Most common fatal accidents: Falls, slips, trips

Cement masons provide finishing and smoothing work for poured concrete, which can be for roads, sidewalks, floors, or other applications of concrete. These workers use hand and power tools to align concrete forms and ensure that concrete is smooth and long-lasting. The most common cause of death for cement masons is from falls.

18. Small engine mechanics
Fatal injury rate: 15 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 8
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents, violence and other injuries by persons or animals

Small engine mechanics repair and maintain small engines such as the engines on lawn mowers, motorboats, and motorcycles. These mechanics generally work in repair shops, but also spend significant time making service repairs out in the field for service emergencies. Transportation incidents are the most common cause of death for these workers.

One of the most dangerous aspects of this category of jobs are attacks by other people.

19. Supervisors of mechanics
Fatal injury rate: 15 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 46
Most common fatal accidents: Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

Supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers are responsible for overseeing the schedule and work of other mechanics, installers, and repairers. In this role, supervisors may perform training and inspect work to ensure that it meets standards. Supervisors may also be responsible for obtaining supplies and equipment such as tools or parts.

20. Heavy vehicle mechanics
Fatal injury rate: 14 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 27
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents, contact with objects and equipment

Heavy vehicle mechanics are responsible for maintaining and repairing heavy equipment such as tractors, bulldozers, and cranes. They can inspect equipment, run diagnostics, perform scheduled maintenance, replace parts, and otherwise ensure that equipment is running properly. The most common cause of death for these mechanics is transportations incidents.

21. Grounds maintenance workers
Fatal injury rate: 14 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 225
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents

Grounds maintenance workers are responsible for ensuring that the grounds of parks, businesses, and residences are well maintained and clean. Some of the duties of these workers include maintaining grasses and lawns, removing weeds, trimming trees, bushes, and shrubs, watering plants, and raking leaves. Car crashes are the most common cause of death for grounds maintenance workers, often when traveling to or from a jobsite.

22. Police officers
Fatal injury rate: 14 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 108
Most common fatal accidents: Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

Police officers are law enforcement officers tasked with enforcing the law, protecting life and property, and maintaining order. Police officers may perform tasks such as patrolling an area, issuing citations, investigating crimes, arresting suspects, and working with prosecutors on cases.

How dangerous is it to be a police officer? Working as a police officer is about 4.1 times as dangerous compared with the average job nationwide, based upon the workplace fatality rate. Police officers have a workplace fatality rate similar to maintenance workers, construction workers, and heavy vehicle mechanics.

The most common cause of death for police officers at work is violence by other persons, making policing one of our nation’s most dangerous jobs

23. Maintenance workers
Fatal injury rate: 14 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 64
Most common fatal accidents: Contact with objects and equipment

Maintenance workers perform routine maintenance at buildings and fix machines and mechanical equipment. These workers may fix equipment at homes, apartments, or businesses, and they may fix objects such as plumbing, electrical systems, and other machines. They may also be responsible for installing or assembling new equipment, doing general repairs, and ordering parts and supplies. Many maintenance workers are called on to perform tasks that require more specialization and training than they have. For example, instead of calling a licensed and certified electrician or HVAC technician, maintenance workers are asked to install electrical devices and attempt to work on air conditioning devices that are outside of their scope of expertise and training.

The most common cause of workplace death for maintenance workers is contact with objects or equipment.

24. Construction workers
Fatal injury rate: 13 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 259
Most common fatal accidents: Falls, slips, trips

Construction workers and construction trades provide physical labor for construction tasks at building sites. These workers are responsible for tasks such as unloading building materials, building scaffolding, digging trenches, and operating other construction machinery. They may also spend time cleaning construction sites either in preparation for or after the completion of construction. The most common cause of death for construction workers is falls.

25. Mining machine operators
Fatal injury rate: 11 per 100,000 workers
Total deaths (2018): 9
Most common fatal accidents: Contact with objects and equipment

Mining machine operators operate machines that remove rock, coal, metals, or other hard materials from a mine and load it onto conveyors that transport the materials out of the mine.

Most of this information is a compilation of data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries produced through work by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Our hope is that when we are more informed about the types of jobs that are more dangerous, we will be more conscientious of our work environment and workplace safety and decrease workplace deaths and non-fatal injuries. We have implemented safety measures in many types of employment that have helped to make workers safer. But in many of the most dangerous jobs identified here, OSHA and other agencies regulating the safety of workers could implement simple safety measures to reduce the number of fatalities caused by occupational risks associated with such straightforward factors as exhaustion, overexertion, and being overworked.

If you or someone that you care about has been injured at work and you would like to speak with a qualified workers’ compensation or personal injury lawyer, call Sessions & Fleischman now to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) – Current
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Economic News Release