Farming Tops Dangerous Work List

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, farming (ranking as the sixth most dangerous job) is more dangerous than police work and fire fighting, reports Ag Professional.

Unlike those who serve with the police force, and are highly trained in protecting each other, farmers frequently work alone, increasing their risk. Working long hours for many consecutive days with heavy machinery, is all too often a recipe for disaster, especially as farmers age. Another risk is farmers moving machinery from one field to another via county roads where drivers frequently speed. Many drivers are not looking for a slow moving combine over the next hill.

The report found that fishing is the most dangerous occupation with more than 71 deaths per 100,000 workers. The second most dangerous occupation belongs to pilots and navigators. In third place come loggers. Timber cutters suffer fatalities nearly 30 times higher than those employed in a typical workplace, most killed by falling trees. The fourth most dangerous job is structural metal workers. In fifth place are waste management workers whose biggest threat comes on roads where they are exposed to fast moving vehicles while they are doing their jobs.