Who Has the Most Dangerous Job?

U.S. Navy Safety Center ^ | 2004 | U.S. Navy Public Affairs Office

[FreedomCalls]

We all have an impression of what constitutes a dangerous job. Usually we base our feelings on three types of information. First, what we actually experience, since we all face various hazards during our daily tasks. Second, we all read and watch news accounts of mishaps. Third, we see different lists, charts and graphs that depict who gets killed and how frequently.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released one snapshot, based on 2002 data of on-the-job fatalities per 100,000 workers. The verdict: people who cut down trees, with a rate of 118 deaths per 100,000 workers. This is more than 26 times the average of all workers.

Commercial fishermen were second, with 71 deaths per 100K workers (drowning was the most common cause). Commercial pilots were third (70 per 100K, with most of the deaths in general aviation, with bush pilots, air-taxi pilots and crop-dusters producing spikes in the data far higher than the rate for airline pilots).

Structural-metal workers—such as the people who build skyscrapers and bridges—were fourth, with a rate of 58 per 100K. And fifth on the list were sales personnel who drive as a main part of their job (such as pizza delivery or servicing vending machines), with traffic wrecks, robberies and assaults as major factors.

The occupation with the highest total number of deaths—truck drivers, with 808—had a rate of 25 per 100K.

For the record, the Navy rate for on-duty deaths is 9.37, and the Marine Corps rate is 21.75.

[FreedomCalls]

Click on chart to enlarge.

[Hildy]

My husband was a commercial fisherman many years ago before we met. He always told me how dangerous it was. I thought he was trying to impress me. But the more I learn about it, I realize what a dangerous profession it really is! He truly is my hero!

[Psycho_Bunny]

Who Has the Most Dangerous Job?

Anyone working for me...

[null and void]

OBL. He's gonna DIE!!!

[antivenom]

I work for a company where most of the men are oil field fire fighters...they respond to blowouts and some are blowing while on fire...THAT in my opinion is pretty dangerous...BTW we are on call to go to Iraq when they quit taking hostages and start blowing up wells again...it has been determined that it will happen....again.

OHHH while I am at it...when they are working on a blowout in a war zone....NO INSURANCE...they can purchase H&R insurance...Hostage and Ranson...cept that the radical islamic pigs aren't doing much except offering BBQ...

[EGPWS]

Who Has the Most Dangerous Job?

I guess that my first thought is not part of the statistics for I figured that a paid "terrorist" would be #1 on the list. (and that IMHO is a good thought)

[fish hawk]

the chart is wrong. The president of the U.S.A. is the most dangerous. You don't see timber fallers or commercial fisherman surrounded by a dozen security agents and secret service agents almost all the time. Must be pretty dangerous don't you think?

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Do you suppose truck drivers would be higher on the list if you counted danger to *other* people?

[TheLion]

So, it is five times more dangerous to cut down trees than be a Marine....hard to believe!

[ASA Vet]

OBL. He's gonna DIE!!!

[Agnes Heep]

Homosexual prostitution. I don't gamble as a rule, but I'd almost be willing to bet you any money it has the highest fatality rate.

[Unknown Freeper]

John has if the servers go down. ; )

[ASA Vet]

Must be pretty dangerous don't you think

Good point. We've had 43 Presidents of which 3 were murdered.
That's 7% (rounded.)

[Dutch Boy]

How about the guy that has to stand between Chuckie Schumer and a camera.

[StriperSniper]

commercial fisherman

Many of them are well armed with shotguns, don't go messing with, or even hang around, the wrong guy's lobster pots 75 miles offshore. Almost ever year I hear about some crazy yahoo shooting at somebody!

[DentsRun]

I wonder why the survey calls the group with the higest fatality rate "timber cutters" instead of the traditional and much more evocative "lumberjacks"? More political correctness gone amok? A fear that millions of female lumberjacks would feel excluded? Why can't a female be a lumberjack? Or should female lumberjacks be called lumberjills?

[joonbug]

Being a business associate of the Clintons.

[ASA Vet]

My previous post shows how statistics can be used to show anything.
Those 43 Presidents were over a 215 year period not just one year.
The rate per 100,000/year computes to 32.6 for US Presidents.

[AlbertWang]

I'm a Lumberjill, and that's OK?

I'm a timber cutter, and that's ok?


I want a nice checkered timber cutter shirt for Christmas?

Wait whilst I lace up my Lumberjill boots?


None of these things seem right........

[chief911]

Most Marines are 5x smarter than tree-cutters! Seriously, my partner at work (US Navy) owns his own tree-cutting business. His opinion of most of the guys out there isn't very good. The majority are the Bubba types with a pick up and a chain saw. Those are the guys that get killed trying to scam someone after a hurricane.