What Do Fishermen, Loggers and Pilots Have in Common?
At first glance, that may seem a difficult question. Could it be job location? Fishermen (and fisherwomen) work in the water; loggers work in the forest and pilots in the air. Nope, no similarities there.
How about job function? Fishermen catch fish and other aquatic animals; loggers cut down and trim trees; and pilots fly people from one place to another. Nothing there either.
So what do these three professions have in common?
Dangerous and Deadly
According to recently released information from the Department of Labor, they’re the three most dangerous and deadly jobs in America. Along with two other professions, there’s more risk in fishing, logging and piloting than any other profession.
But what’s so dangerous about fishing? Fishermen work long hours on rough seas, in unpredictably bad weather and often in isolation—which makes it difficult to reach them in case of emergency. Together, these three factors make the job more unsafe than any other profession in the U.S.
Loggers and pilots hold the second and third deadliest jobs, respectively. What makes them risky? For loggers, risk comes with falling trees, faulty cutting equipment and difficult terrain that pose dangerous conditions and can turn deadly. And for pilots, the most dangerous situations come while testing equipment, responding to emergency and, of course, with crashes.
Rounding out the top five deadliest occupations are structural and steel work, and farming and ranching. The most dangerous part of working with steel, according to statistics? Working at heights, using heavy materials and welding. And the danger in farming and ranching? Operating heavy machinery, like combines and backhoes.
Transportation, Construction, Finance—and Murder
More interesting details from the Department of Labor, courtesy of Forbes.com:
- Transportation accidents are the most common cause of fatalities. More than half occur as a result of highway incidents, the most common killer since 1992, when results were first collected. The second most common causes are equipment- and object-related injuries.
- Men make up 92.7 percent of workplace fatalities, presumably because more of them work in occupations with high fatality rates.
- 26 percent of female workplace deaths are murders, compared with nine percent of male deaths.
- The largest number of deaths occurs each year in the construction industry.
- Workers in the finance and insurance industries have the lowest fatality rates of any occupation.
If you’re jobless and considering changing occupations, it appears finance or insurance might be a great choice—for safety’s sake. But we recommend avoiding construction!
Deadly Jobs and Insurance
So what do fishermen, loggers, pilots and people in other dangerous occupations have to do with insurance?
Simply put, the deadlier the job, the higher the insurance premium. Compared to people who work relatively safe jobs, those in dangerous positions carry more risk for injury and death, and are more likely to end up in the emergency room, hospitalized or needing physical therapy or long term care.
That leaves insurance companies holding the bag when it comes to managing risk—and they pass that financial risk along to the policyholder in the form of more expensive rates.
If you work in a deadly occupation and are looking for ways to lower your rates, try InsureMe for the most affordable insurance around. We’ll network amongst some of the top insurance providers in your area to get you the cheapest insurance premiums around. All you have to do is ask!
