Employment: 5 Things You Should Know About Some Dangerous Jobs

Various kinds of everyday jobs are more dangerous than you probably think. So, before you begin working in certain industries, you should get a good understanding of the potential risks involved.  Here are just five important things you should know about some dangerous jobs.

1. Working in Agriculture and Other Industries Can Create the Risk of Asbestos Exposure

While asbestos is now well-recognized as a health hazard and its use is regulated in most countries, such as by the EPA and OSHA in the U.S., exposure to asbestos can still occur in some industries and cause dangerous illnesses.

For instance, asbestos fibres can be found in soils and within some processing activities, such as handling crops like sugar. Therefore, people working in agriculture can be at a higher risk of being exposed to asbestos.

And although asbestos has not been used in many industries since the mid to late twentieth century, it can still be found in places like shipyards, power plants, and oil platforms.

Incredibly, around 12,000 to 15,000 people in the U.S. alone die as a result of illnesses caused by exposure to asbestos every year.

For example, the fatal illness mesothelioma causes over 2,000 deaths every year in the U.S.

So, it is perhaps not surprising that many people who suffer from such conditions file mesothelioma lawsuits.

If you are a sufferer of mesothelioma yourself, and it was caused by asbestos exposure in the workplace, you should find out more about how to file a lawsuit against the party responsible.

2. Firefighters Have a Much Higher Risk of Developing Cancers

Firefighters obviously engage in dangerous activities for their work. Battling fires and rescuing people from hazardous situations put firefighters at risk.

However, it may surprise you to learn that the greatest danger that firefighters risk is cancer.

Multiple studies have shown that firefighters are at a much higher risk of developing cancer. In fact, it is estimated that 68% of firefighters are at risk of developing some kind of cancer because of their exposure to smoke and to chemicals like flame retardants.

Compare that to the general population’s risk of developing cancer, which is 22%, and you will see just how much higher risk firefighters have of developing mesothelioma, and other cancers like lung cancer, kidney cancer, and oesophagus cancer.

3. Loggers Who Use Heavy Machinery Are at a High Risk of Experiencing Injuries and Fatalities

Working as a logger can be great for keeping fit and breathing in the fresh air, but loggers have a high risk of being injured due to the fact that they use heavy machinery and come into contact with dangerous objects.

In fact, in the U.S., the fatal injury rate for people working in logging is 91.7 per 100,000 workers.

4. Structural Iron and Steel Workers Face a Higher Risk of Being Injured or Killed in Accidents

While loggers face a high risk of being injured in accidents, structural iron and steel workers are at an even greater risk.

The fatal injury rate in the U.S. is 32.5 per 100,000 workers.

Injuries and fatalities in this industry are commonly caused by slips, trips and falls, and operating heavy machinery.

5. Delivery Driver Fatality Rates Are High

According to the World Health Organization, around 1.3 million people around the world are killed in road traffic crashes every year. So, any type of work that involves driving can potentially put workers at risk of being involved in accidents that cause injuries or fatalities.

Truck drivers are even more at risk due to the sheer size and weight of the vehicles they operate. In fact, in the U.S., the fatal injury rate for truck drivers and small-scale delivery drivers is 25.8 per 100,000 workers.