According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, lumberjacks, fishermen and pilots have the highest risk of death while working. Data collected in 2013 showed that for every 100,000 loggers over 80 were killed on the job; for every 100,000 fishermen over 60 were killed on the job; for every 100,000 pilots and flight engineers over 40 were killed on the job.

The rest of the top ten most dangers jobs (in order from greatest to least number of deaths on the job) are:

  1. extraction workers’,
  2. roofers,
  3. refuse and recyclable material collectors,
  4. mining machine operators,
  5. driver/sales workers’ and truck drivers,
  6. farmers/ranchers, and
  7. electrical power-line installers and repairers.

Transportation accidents, falling, being struck by an object or equipment, and homicides are the most likely cause of fatalities. In the homicide category, cab drivers have the greatest risk, primarily because they are not properly trained to handle assaults.

Original post in the 1/28/215 Washington Post by Max Ehrenfreund