We may all feel as if work is going to destroy us at times, but for people in the professional vocations represented below, the reality may be truly disconcerting. Any job can come with a risk to your health and well-being; however, the following 10 vocations had the highest percentage of injuries per 1,000 workers in 2013:
Public Administration: 35.7 injuries per 1,000 workers. It may come as a surprise that Public Administration, including governmental positions may be the most prone to injuries; however, this sector also encompasses firefighters and police activities. The first responders are the heroes who put their lives on the line every day and are unfortunately subject to the highest probability of injury. Outside of first responders, governmental workers encompass a large portion of this sector and report a high amount of overexertion injuries. These overexertion injuries are often seen in a typical office setting when duties are performed outside of the normal office job tasks.- Agriculture: 34.7 injuries per 1,000 workers. Working in the agriculture field requires a worker to face dangers related to both crop production and animal production. These hard working individuals are exposed to elements both natural and man-made. Chemicals, heat, and heavy machinery are among the top reasons for injury or death for agriculture workers.
- Construction: 34.0 injuries per 1,000 workers. Roofing, steel work, or simple siding project, work in the construction field is highly dangerous. Two of the top hazards of the construction trade are falls from great heights and being struck by an object, causing injury.
- Mining: 28.0 injuries per 1,000 workers. Working underground and/or with mining equipment carries its own risks, but add to that the tools of the trade and these workers can be subject to extreme danger of injury and death. The mining profession carries with it the risk of death and injury by cave-ins, explosives, and electrocution.
- Manufacturing: 24.7 injuries per 1,000 workers. This sector includes all facets of manufacturing from assembly to completion of products. Assembly line workers must always use best practices to avoid falling victim to any number of possible mechanisms of injury. Assembly workers typically utilize implements including knives and heavy duty machinery which result in the highest number of amputations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
- Trade, Transportation and Utilities: 21.0 injuries per 1,000 workers. Utility workers typically work in and around very dangerous substances; however, falls from a high elevation is a noted substantial risk to these workers, as shown by the data. Whether it is an injury while working on a natural gas line, downed electrical wires or installation of a home theater system, this sectors workers reported the highest number of injuries as a result of a fall from an elevation within the Commonwealth in 2013.
- Education and Health Services: 20.6 injuries per 1,000 workers. Teaching can be a very rewarding job; however, it is also extremely dangerous. This sector of employment reported the most total injuries in the Commonwealth in 2013. Unfortunately, student on teacher violence continues as this sector also reported the highest instances of an injured worker being struck as the primary component of their work injury.
- Leisure and Hospitality: 14.2 injuries per 1,000 workers. Hotel and restaurant workers make up the vast majority of the injuries that result from this sector. Given the nature of the work performed at a restaurant, it should be no surprise that cut, laceration and puncture wounds are a very high portion of the reported claims within this sector.
- Information: 12.4 injuries per 1,000 workers. This may be a surprising sector to fall within this list of dangerous occupational sectors; however, this sector is inclusive of not only IT services but publishing industries and telecommunication industries. Publication companies work with large assembly line type equipment for binding purposes which can result in crush, amputation and repetitive stress injuries. Telecommunication workers may be exposed to high voltage power lines as well as heights in the course and scope of their job.
- Professional & Business Services: 10.6 injuries per 1,000 workers. Rounding out the Top 10 are professionals. As one would expect, there are very few traumatic injuries resulting from professional services; however, this sector also encompasses waste services including trash pickup and landfill maintenance. These workers are constantly exposed to unknown substances and are required to constantly lift up to 100 pounds on a daily basis, resulting in a high percentage of back and shoulder injuries.
Many work injuries are unavoidable. If you work in one of the above vocational sectors, be sure you talk to your employer to ensure that any/all safety mechanisms are in place to protect you and your co-workers from all avoidable injuries.
If you are injured on the job, the attorneys of McDonald At Law are here to help. We are dedicated to helping our clients with any number of work related needs. If you wish to speak to an attorney regarding your workers compensation injury, please call us: 717-431-3093. Whether you wish to begin the claims process, have been denied workers compensation benefits, or are encountering problems while on workers compensation, McDonald At Law will fight to obtain the benefits you are entitled to receive.
Source: 2013 Pennsylvania Workers Compensation and Workplace Safety Annual Report