Do You Work in One of the 10 Deadliest Jobs in America?

Most people go to work every morning, taking for granted that they will come home safely at the end of the day. But certain industries make coming home less likely, with high death rates that might make someone think twice about the job they do.

Laboring in fields or on construction sites or working as a logger or in the mining industry can put employees in dangerous situations, resulting in accidents that can cause serious injuries and even death.

Preliminary results of the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2013 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a total of 4,405 fatal on-the-job injuries in the United States in 2013.

The rate of fatal workplace injuries was 3.2 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. But several industries have much higher death rates per 100,000 FTE workers.

Do you work in one of those risky industries? Here are the 10 most dangerous jobs in America (see our most recent article about this topic), according to preliminary BLS data as reported by Business Insider:

1. Construction Laborers
   Fatalities: 215
   Fatality rate: 17.7
   These workers perform physical labor at construction sites, which can include using power and hand tools, digging trenches and preparing the worksite. They also erect scaffolding, set braces to support the sides of excavations and clean up debris and rubble.
2. Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
   Fatalities: 27
   Fatality rate: 21.5
   These workers repair or install wires or cables used for electrical power.
3. Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
   Fatalities: 220
   Fatality rate: 21.8
   Workers in this industry produce livestock, crops and dairy products.
4. Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers
   Fatalities: 748
   Fatality rate: 22.0
   These workers are drivers of trucks and other vehicles with an established territory or route to sell or deliver goods, such as food products or a commercial laundry service. The workers might also stock merchandise, collect payments or take orders along the route.
5. Mining Machine Operators
   Fatalities: 16
   Fatality rate: 26.9
   In a continuous operation, these workers control mining machines that tear metal, coal, rock, sand or stone from the mine face and load it into shuttle cars or conveyors.
6. Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
   Fatalities: 33
   Fatality rate: 33.0
   These workers collect recyclable materials and refuse and transfer it from containers into trucks.
7. Roofers
   Fatalities: 69
   Fatality rate: 38.7
   Workers in this industry repair and install building roofs and use a variety of materials, including metal, asphalt and shingles.
8. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers
   Fatalities: 63
   Fatality rate: 50.6
   These workers pilot and navigate the flight of a variety of aircraft that carry passengers and cargo, usually on scheduled routes.
9. Fishers and Related Fishing Workers
   Fatalities: 27
   Fatality rate: 75.0
   Workers in this industry catch fish and other marine life for food, animal feed and bait.
10. Logging Workers
    Fatalities: 59
    Fatality rate: 91.3
    These workers cut down trees in thousands of acres of forest. This timber provides material for many products and goods.

Sources:

• Business Insider – The 10 Deadliest Jobs In America
• BLS – National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2013 (Preliminary Results)