In December of 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its 2016 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. These stats brought attention to those industries in America that saw the highest work fatality rates. Employers and employees in Kentucky will want to know about the top 10 most dangerous jobs because some of them may be a surprise.
Logging workers had the highest fatal work injury rate, with 135.9 deaths out of every 100,000 full-time or equivalent workers. They were followed by fishing workers (with a rate of 86) and aircraft pilots and flight engineers (55.5). Roofers, trash and recycling collectors, iron and steel workers and truck and sales drivers came next.
Drivers saw the most number of deaths in 2016 — 918 in all, compared to 91 logging worker deaths. The next group on the list, farmers/agricultural managers, saw 260 deaths. A total of 5,190 civilian workers died on the job in 2016.
The list ends with the categories of construction supervisors/extraction workers and grounds maintenance workers. Transportation accidents were the top cause of death, killing 632 truckers, 116 farmers and 62 groundskeepers. Workplace violence, mostly at the hands of customers, came in second, surpassing even slip and fall accidents. Frequent victims of violence included police officers (51 were killed while on duty in 2016) and cab drivers.
Workers whose employers have workers’ compensation insurance may be able to receive damages after an accident. If they file within the two-year statute of limitations, they can be reimbursed for medical expenses and a portion of the wages they lost during their physical recovery; however, this will bar them from suing their employer over the same incident in the future. Workers’ compensation also covers death benefits, which are paid out to the family or other eligible dependents. It’s generally recommended that victims hire a lawyer, especially for appeals.