The Treasure Valley Has Several of the Most Dangerous Jobs in the World
If we're inside an office all day, odds are that we're going to be safe and not have to worry too much about getting injured (or worse). But some of our neighbors around the Treasure Valley are risking their lives by going to work at dangerous jobs every day, and it's not just the just the obvious ones that pose the biggest risks.
When I think of jobs where people put their lives on the line each day when they leave home, I immediately think of police officers and firefighters. And while those brave guys and gals made the top 25, the most dangerous jobs in the world include several lines of work that are a little less obvious.
Researchers from 24/7 Wall St. recently posted the 25 occupations with the highest fatality rates, and we have several of these jobs in Idaho.
The Top 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in America
1. Fishers and related fishing workers
2. Logging workers
3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
4. Roofers
5. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
6. Structural iron and steel workers
7. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
8. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
9. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
10. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Every time I need to have something done to my roof I apologize profusely for how steep it is. People who install Christmas lights complain and shingle companies charge more because of the risk. I don't go up there, and I can't imagine having a job that required me to conquer various pitches on a daily basis while carrying tools and 50-pound bags of shingles. Those folks are brave.
Other dangerous jobs in the Top 25 include maintenance workers, construction laborers, athletes, electricians, installers and repairers, police officers, and firefighters. The risk of injury is high. And much love and respect for road construction workers too, who have to put up with oblivious drivers who don't want to slow down in construction zones. Oh, and professional athletes! How many awful leg breaks have we seen this football season? Too many.
I'm suddenly extra grateful for my office job, where the biggest risk might come from a paper cut, or tripping over the carpet while texting and walking.
If you've got big risks, thanks for doing what you do, and for listening at work. We appreciate ya.