Fishermen and Merchant Seafarers
Fishermen and Merchant Seafarer’s find themselves in the dubious position of working in the most dangerous profession in the country. The main reason for this is of course the unpredictable and very treacherous seas. Since records of work related deaths have been kept, fishermen and merchant seafarers have always topped the tables and are 50 times more like to die at work than anyone else. Currently 103 per 100,000 fishermen die each year, though incredibly high it is thankfully lower than the 1885 rate of 1 in 63 (10,000 a year) who perished while at sea.
Bomb and Mine Disposal
An unsurprising entry on our list Bomb disposal experts face danger and even death on a daily basis, thankfully though most survive which is why many have been nicknamed ‘Felix’ because they have nine lives like cats. Despite doing such a dangerous and important job the average disposal expert can look to bring home only £32,000 a year.
Oil and Gas Rigger
Oil and Gas workers have traditionally found themselves at risk due to the highly flammable and dangerous materials they find themselves working with day after day. The biggest cause of accidents is when rigs and pipes catch fire, though these are relatively rare when they do occur the loss of life can be high. In modern times rigs and are much safer but workers face a new threat. Terrorists have chosen oil and gas rigs as targets since the first Golf War. Some areas have become so dangerous for employees that oil and gas companies have been forced to withdraw there multi million pound operations from the area completely.
Construction Workers
Over the past five years 30% of all work related fatalities in the UK have come from the construction industry. Within the construction industry Scaffolders and Steeplejacks find themselves most at risk with 23% of all construction fatalities being caused by falls. As well as fatal injuries the industry also receives a high number of non fatal injuries. These can range from someone hitting their thumb with a hammer to more serious injuries such as white finger and Raynauds Disease.
Commercial Drivers
Commercial drivers are involved in 150 crashes up and down the country each day and are annually involved in 54,000 per year. Often the main cause of the crashes is the longer hours drivers often have to work caused by tight deadlines that many companies run by. 1-in-4 of road fatalities involves a driver at work.
War Zone Security Guard
The most recent entry on to the most dangerous job list, War Zone security guards are finding themselves working in the most dangerous places on Earth. Security Guards are often called in to work in highly dangerous areas, usually Iraq and Afghanistan to protect organizations and people. As part of their job them find themselves daily on the front line and often come under fire.
Tags: dangerous jobs, Raynauds Disease, white finger
