OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AT SURPRISINGLY DANGEROUS JOBS
“The rate of fatal occupational injuries for farmers and ranchers is 38.5 per 100,000 full-time workers, versus 4.4 for firefighters, and 13.1 for police and sheriff's patrol officers, according to U.S. Labor Department data for 2009, the most recent available.” Dangerous Jobs: You'll Be Surprised, Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2011
Surprising, right? We don’t typically associate farming with danger, but farming equipment can be hazardous to those working on farms, especially if the equipment is somehow flawed or misused. Here are a few other occupations with shockingly high rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illness, requiring days away from work:
State Psychiatric Aides
Local Government Bus Drivers
Local Government Emergency Technicians and Paramedics
Private Tree Trimmers and Pruners
Local Government Nursing Aides, Orderlies and Attendants
Private Shuttle Car Operators
Local Government Dietitians and Nutritionists
Local Government House-Keeping Workers
It may be hard to believe that bus drivers actually have a higher rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illness than police officers and firefights, yet reports suggest that this is due to the force and whole-body vibrations that bus drivers are exposed to on a daily basis.
Further, employees sitting at computers all day or assuming unnatural positions, like dental hygienists, may suffer back, neck and shoulder pain, which can become chronic. It is important that employees take breaks to stretch or take a short walk when possible.
