Business insurance premiums are directly related to the risk inherent in your business or profession. The fastest way to increase business insurance premiums is to ignore safety. Failing to follow regulations, laws, manufacturer or trade standards, and other risky corporate behavior has a direct impact on safety and risk. As the risk of injury in the workplace increases, so do insurance premiums.
Some industries, however, are, by nature, inherently more dangerous than other industries. Other industries that one would anticipate being on a "top ten" list are not. Here, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is the list.
1. Fisherman and Related Fishing Workers
The information provided on this list is from a summary of BLS data for 2010. The data shows that farming, fishing, and forestry are the most dangerous occupations in the United States. While there were nearly six times as many transportation related workplace fatalities, deaths per 100,000 workers were double that of transportation in the fishing industry. Nearly 26 fatal injuries for every 100,000 workers in the farming, fishing, and forestry group. That number climbs to 116 per 100,000 when one considers only fishing.
Were I have been asked to identify a number one most dangerous job, I would have guessed fireman. But fishing makes it to the top of the list almost every time because it is inherently dangerous and the hours are long.
2. Logging Workers
Coming in a close second are logging workers with 91 fatalities per 100,000 workers.
Is it any wonder that "Deadliest Catch" and "Ax Men" are two popular workplace reality shows? Both shows feature professions sitting at the top of the BLS list of "occupations with high fatal work injury rates." Somewhat gruesome.
3. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers
This one makes me nervous.
It is safer to be a police officer than to be a pilot or flight engineer. With nearly 71 fatalities per 100,000 workers, there were more fatalities (78) in 2010 than in logging or fishing. But, it appears this category encompasses the entire industry including small planes and lease services.
4. Farmers and Ranchers
Agribusiness is dangerous.
There were 300 fatal workplace accidents in 2010 involving farmers and ranchers. This is second only to transportation workers. In 2010, there were 41 fatalities per 100,000 workers.
5. Mining Machine Operators
Mining is dangerous business, as well. Interestingly, it is safer than being a pilot or fisherman.
Tragically, this statistic may be skewed because of the Upper Big Branch disaster in April, 2010, in Montcoal, West Virginia. The investigation into that disaster finding fault with the employer stating the "company's ventilation system did not adequately ventilate the mine." That disaster claimed the lives of 29 miners, while 23 mining machine operators were fatally injured in the workplace according to the BLS.
6. Roofers
The roofing profession suffered 57 fatalities in 2010. An average of 32 fatalities per 100,000 employees is reported.
7. Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
I believe this profession is better understood as sanitation workers or garbage men. These workers work around crushing equipment, large vehicles, and impatient motorists. 26 died in a workplace accident in 2010.
8. Driver/sales Workers and Truck Drivers
If your business makes use of vehicles, your business need commercial auto insurance coverage. In the top-ten fatal list every year are employee drivers. 683 lost their lives in 2010. Death to a worker on the road is the single largest risk faced by a majority of small businesses.
9. Industrial Machinery Installation, Repair, and Maintenance Worker
Working with large, aging, machines of various conditions has always been dangerous. Machine workers are almost tied with drivers at 20.3 fatalities per 100,000 workers. But, what is not revealed in this data is the number of non-fatal - but, life altering - workplace injuries related to working with industrial machines.
10. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Rounding out the list is our first responders. The BLS states 133 lost their lives in a workplace incidents in 2010. Now, think about how dangerous these jobs are. These are professionals trained to be safe and to be prepared and yet they suffered a fatality rate of 18 per 100,000.