When you think about dangerous situations, you might think about walking alone at night or driving in bad weather. The reality for thousands of Americans is they face danger every single day, simply by going to work.
New information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that there were over 5,000 workplace deaths in 2018, which equals 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers. However, the number of mortalities is nearly 30 times that for certain jobs. Here is a glimpse of the most dangerous industries, based on the number of fatalities per 100,000 workers in that industry:
10. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service and groundskeeping workers
9. First-line supervisors of construction and extraction workers
8. Structural iron and steel workers
7. Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural workers
6. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
5. Reuse and recyclable materials collectors
4. Roofers
3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
2. Fishers and related fishing workers
1. Logging workers
Overall, workplace accidents increased slightly from 2017. The number of fatalities remained the same.
More than 2,000 workplace deaths, or 40% of all work-related fatalities, were a result of transportation accidents. Contact with objects and equipment was the next most-common fatality, resulting in 786 deaths. This includes running equipment and machinery, as well as being hit by falling objects. Another common accident was falls, slips and trips.
While accidents are bound to happen from time to time, employers are obligated to keep work spaces as safe as possible. When employer negligence leads to workplace accidents, you may have the right to seek compensation for your injuries.