(Photo : Mat Napo via Unsplash)

2020 proved to be a dangerous year for the nation's health in many important ways. For some professions, however, danger is practically a certainty. Due to dangerous working conditions, tricky equipment, or job difficulty, some jobs prove to be inherently more deadly and injury-prone than others. 

Knowing the injury rates at a profession you work in, or are thinking of entering, can help keep you safe and allow you to understand when legal action is necessary. This data is determined using a statistic known as the fatal work injury rate, which calculates the number of deaths per 100,000 workers. During 2020, the overall national worker fatal injury rate was 3.5 out of 100,000 (or simply 3.5). With that context in mind, these professions ended up being the seven most deadly and injury-prone occupations in 2020:

7. Farmers and Ranchers:

With the sheer variety in heavy machinery and equipment used day-to-day in the farming profession, it's no surprise to see the industry appear on this list. With the increased demand for food production in 2020, the numbers rose to a particularly distressing height. More than 280 non-fatal injuries and a whopping 257 fatal injuries (many of which dealt with heavy machinery) pushed the fatal injury rate for farmers and ranch hands to 24.7.

6. Truck Drivers:

When the bulk of your job is moving product from one location to the next, often in a massive semi-truck, your potential for finding yourself in the middle of a dangerous accident significantly increases and the need for proper fleet management is extremely important. With 966 reported fatal injuries reported in 2020, and the total number of non-fatal injuries ending at an astounding 78,520, the profession was left with a 26 fatal work injury rate. The number of fatalities in the profession has seen a drop since 2018 when it proved to be the deadliest occupation of the year, but the number of fatal injuries remains tragically high. 

5. Recyclable and Refuse Material Collectors:

Although there are much fewer employees in this line of work when compared to truck drivers, injuries occur at a more severe rate. Not only were 1,490 non-fatal injuries reported for the relatively small workforce, but the number of fatal injuries was an unfortunate 37. Once again, the excessive amount of time spent on the roads, with some of that spent riding on the back of vehicles, becomes the key reason the occupation remains so dangerous. Compared to our previous industry's 36 fatal work injury rate, the noticeable ramp up to a 44.3 fatal work injury rate for these invaluable collection workers is heart-wrenching. 

4. Roofers:

While roofing might not have been the first occupation to jump into your mind when you read the article's title, it's almost certainly no surprise that it's made it to the number four spot on this list. The exposure to both extremely cold and hot weather conditions, long working hours, and the number of hours spent working at dangerous heights, led to 490 non-fatal injuries in this relatively small occupational field during 2020. With 70 of those accidents proving fatal, roofers ended up with a devastating 58.9 fatal injury work rate. 

3. Aircraft Pilots:

Planes are notoriously much safer than land-bound vehicles, so the statistics surrounding pilots' workplace injuries is one of the more shocking data points on this list. The traumatic, incredibly dangerous nature of injuries revolving around plane crashes makes this entry that much more disturbing. However, it should be noted that the majority of these workplace incidents are happening in the private sector (which would explain why we hear about them much less often). With 490 non-fatal injuries reported in 2020, 70 of which were fatal, the occupation scored an unfortunate fatal injury work rate of 58.9. 

2. Fishing Workers: 

Not unlike the farming profession, the near-constant use of heavy machinery and complex, dangerous equipment catapulted fishing work as one of the absolute most dangerous occupations to hold in 2020. The difficulty of treating injuries that happen out at sea makes them that much more deadly, and the exact number of on-the-job injuries proved difficult for data scientists to pin down. However, with a tragic 30 of these injuries proving fatal, the occupation scored a 77.4 fatal injury work rate. 

1. Logging Workers: 

To anyone who has watched one of the many popular movies or television shows focusing on the logging industry, the occupation's spot at number one on this list should not be at all surprising. The inherent danger of falling large trees, and the hazardous equipment used to perform the job led to a total of 1,040 work injuries in the relatively small field. Unfortunately, 74 of these workplace injuries proved fatal, pushing the logging industry's fatal injury work rate to a staggering 97.6. 

For many people, the meaning of having a bad day at work typically consists of getting written up, missing a deadline, or even getting fired. But for those working in some of the most dangerous jobs in the world, a bad day could prove life-threatening. All jobs, of course, have their own risks, but if you're working in a field where the risk is much higher and potentially life-altering, always exercise caution to protect yourself and those around you.