Each day, Illinois employees risk their safety, and sometimes their lives, performing a variety of tasks that make life more efficient for everyone. The Bureau of Labor Statistics determines a job’s fatality rate by calculating the number of fatalities per 100,000 employers who are on the job full-time. This ensures that all professions are correctly represented. If you’re starting your career or thinking about changing directions professionally, it’s important to know which jobs pose the highest risk of work-related deaths.
Logging Workers
Logging workers had the most work-related deaths in 2019. For every 100,000 workers, 135.9 passed away from occupational injuries, which accounts for 91 fatalities in 2019. This job is physically demanding and involves staying clear of falling trees and using heavy-duty machinery such as chainsaws. These factors put employees at risk during each workday.
Fishers and fishing industry workers
When you think of going fishing, you may picture a relaxing day at the lake. However, professional fishers face considerable danger on the job, making this the second deadliest job of 2019. There were around 86 fatalities for every 100,000 workers in the industry. The main causes of death were vehicular accidents, weather conditions, and faulty machinery.
Pilots and flight engineers
Driving is often considered more dangerous than flying. However, pilot fatalities rank high on the list of work-related deaths. The fatality rate in this industry is around 55.5, which means there are around 75 fatalities per year, and nearly all of these deaths are due to plane crashes.
Roofers
Roofers had the fourth most dangerous job of 2019 more than 100 deaths per year. Their job requires them to be lifted off the ground for extended periods of time. The main cause of injury or death was falling.
While all jobs can pose a risk of some sort, it is especially important for individuals in physically demanding jobs to be aware of safety precautions to avoid inflicting harm on themselves and others.