Workers can suffer serious injuries, and even fatal injuries, in almost any industry. Even someone who works in what appears to be a relatively safe industry—such as an office job—could suffer severe injuries in a slip-and-fall accident or something of this nature.
That said, some industries clearly have a greater risk of serious injuries than others. You can look at the statistics to determine what the most dangerous industries are. There are two general ways to evaluate this.
The greatest number of workplace deaths
To start with, you can look at the total number of fatal accidents each year. Without fail, the construction industry tops the list year after year. From this perspective, construction is the most dangerous form of employment.
A big part of the reason for this is that there are just inherent risks. Workers have to climb ladders and work at heights. They have to use power tools and heavy equipment. Even when they try to work safely, accidents are always possible.
The highest fatal accident rate
However, if you look at the rate of fatal accidents, other industries rank ahead of construction. This is because these industries tend to be much smaller. There are fewer overall deaths, but because the workforce is so small, the fatal accident rate is much higher.
Examples of these industries include agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing. For instance, it is often said that deep-sea fishing is the most dangerous profession. It has one of the highest fatal accident rates, but the total number of deaths is lower because it is a much smaller industry than construction.
Any workers who have been injured need to know exactly what legal options they have to seek proper workers’ compensation benefits.
