Jobs that can kill you
Even a good job has its drawbacks. That’s the case with these 18 – they’re well-paying, society-building occupations for which workers potentially risk their emotional and physical health when clocking in each day.
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You don’t have to just take our word for it, though. Learn more about the professions the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports have the highest fatal work injury rates and that the job website CareerCast has deemed the most stressful.
1. Taxi Drivers
Taxi drivers dodge and weave thousand-pound hunks of metal in and out of traffic – of course their job is dangerous. CareerCast ranks its most stressful jobs based on 11 criteria; cabbies took the No. 10 slot because they consistently endanger their life as well as the lives of their passengers while traveling through varied road conditions.
2. Police Officers
Police officers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illness, the BLS reports, largely due to the varied physical and emotional demands associated with the position. And though it isn’t one of the top 10 jobs with most reported fatalities, police officers did earn the No. 9 spot on CareerCast’s list of most stressful jobs for 2014.
3. Logging Workers
This is when this list gets really dour. Harvesting forest is injury-prone even when done correctly and safely – logging workers contend with falling branches, hilly terrain, flying wood chips, trip-ready vines and whirring chain saws. The job also has one of the highest on-the-job fatality rates of any profession, according to the BLS; in 2013 there were 59 logging deaths.
4. Senior Corporate Executives
Office bigwigs don’t necessarily live the life of Riley. The pressures of running a corporation, developing initiatives and meeting fiscal expectations could take considerable toll on a senior office executive, which took the No. 7 slot on CareerCast’s list of most stressful jobs. Another mitigating factor: senior corporate execs are often sedentary, which could lead to a hodgepodge of physical woes.
5. Newspaper Reporters
It’s uncommon for a newspaper reporter to suffer from a serious on-the-job injury. But this profession could hurt your health due to the emotional strain it causes – which anyone who has stared-down the face of a looming, daunting deadline can identify with. Newspaper reporter was the No. 8 job on CareerCast’s list of stressful jobs for 2014.
6. Fishers
Recreational fishing is a popular unwinding pastime for many, but commercial fishing is dangerous and strenuous. Fishers have to be diligent when surrounded by slippery decks, easy-to-snare nets and puncture-producing fishing equipment, particularly since their isolated working conditions make receiving prompt medical attention difficult. In 2013 there were 27 reported fatalities, according to the BLS. Most commercial fishing fatalities are caused by drowning.
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7. Roofers
This profession involves lots of heavy lifting, climbing, bending and kneeling. There’s also the chance of suffering a heat-related injury, since both roof repair and roof installation are popular construction jobs during the warmer months. But the most frightening health hazard involved with being a roofer is the chance of slipping and falling. There were 69 reported on-the-job deaths for roofers in 2013, according to BLS.
8. Public Relations Executives
Not convinced that PR could be emotionally taxing and detrimental to your health? Consider this – the average tenure of a White House press secretary is two years; President Bill Clinton had five White House press secretaries in his eight years in office, President George W. Bush had four and three have currently served under President Barack Obama. CareerCast also thinks managing a corporation’s image and communication with consumers, investors and the media is a high-stakes occupation, and public relations executives received the No. 6 slot on its list of most stressful jobs.
9. Event Coordinators
Being an event coordinator involves wrangling schedules, vendors, clients … and tense environments and scenarios. Usually there’s also a great deal of travel involved in this occupation – another key component CareerCast used to compile its list. According to the job website, event coordinator is the No. 5 most stressful job in 2014.
10. Garbage Collectors
The BLS reported 33 garbage collector fatalities in 2013. Less severe injuries might also occur when picking up and disposing trash, ranging from having contact with materials and chemicals to muscle strain from lifting heavy objects. Roadway accidents are also possible for collectors who make neighborhood rounds driving or riding on the back of a garbage truck.
11. Airline Pilots
This occupation placed fourth on CareerCast’s list because pilots’ unorthodox work schedules can result in tremendous fatigue. Flying also requires considerable concentration, compounded with the emotional wear of being responsible for the lives of flight passengers. It was also one of the 10 jobs the BLS reports had the most fatalities. In 2013 there were 63 pilot deaths.
12. Mining Machine Operators
When it comes to danger, the name of this profession says it all. These miners operate complex machinery that breaks apart and transports some of the coarsest materials: coal, metal and nonmetal ores, plus rock, stone and sand. According to the BLS, there were 16 work fatalities in this occupation in 2013.
13. Firefighters
Firefighters constantly risk their health and lives, entering dangerous conditions where they’re potentially exposed to hazardous fumes and materials. The BLS reports fatal work injuries among firefighters rose 194 percent to 53 in 2013, from 18 in 2012. And like pilots, firefighters also have a chaotic schedule, often working 24-hour shifts when they’re on-call and waiting for the next emergency. The uncertainty of this job’s requirements and routine particularly lead to its placement as CareerCast’s third-most stressful occupation.