Roofing puts workers in a very perilous place for work, but they’re not the most likely to be fatally injured on the job, according to a recent study on the 25 most dangerous jobs in America. The analysis, done by AdvisorSmith, reviewed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for 263 professions employing 50,000 or more workers.
The study found logging to be the most dangerous job in America, at 21 times more dangerous than the average job. Logging workers cut down trees and move logs using heavy machinery, with a fatal injury rate that is 70 per 100,000 workers. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers came in second at 60 deaths per 100,000 workers, with the majority of fatalities occurring in crashes of privately owned planes. Roofers were third with 50 deaths, with the most common fatal accidents related to slips, trips and falls.
Also in the top 10 were, in order, construction helpers, crossing guards, garbage collectors, farming supervisors, delivery drivers, ironworkers and farmers. Police officers were at the bottom of the top 25 list. Working as a cop is just about 3.5 times as dangerous as the average job.
Interestingly, an increase in danger does not always correlate to an increase in pay. Many of the most dangerous jobs came with salaries below $56,310, the May 2020 mean average wage.
Job-related deaths have been on the rise, increasing 10 percent from 2015-2019. When adjusted for the number of employees, however, the rate of death has risen just about 4 percent. In 2019, there were 3.4 deaths on average for every 100,000 workers. Companies that hire for the most dangerous jobs usually have higher than average workers’ compensation insurance premiums.
While some work injuries happen by accident, ones caused by negligence could have been prevented, and may result in your receiving funds over and above Workers’ Compensation. If you would like to talk to an attorney experienced in workplace accidents, please reach out to us.