The 15 Most Dangerous Jobs In America (How badly do you want to work?)

Business Insider ^ | 09/20/2011 | Gus Lubin and Kevin Lincoln

[SeekAndFind]

A few years ago many Americans would have turned their noses up at a blue collar job with a fatality rate of 116 per 100k and a much higher injury rate.

Not any more.

In this economy plenty of the 14,000,000 unemployed would be glad to get work as a fisherman or other dangerous jobs.

[Strategerist]

Structural ironworker was in the top three for decades and the fact it is not anywhere on this list suggests it was overlooked. Or, it may be the small number of bridge and tall building projects during the sample period.

My vague impression is that those jobs have gotten much safer due to increased use of safety harnesses, etc.

Was watching a documentary on the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the 1950s, and nobody had any sort of safety harness at all.

[Cowman]

I vote for large animal veterinarian from experience

Were you on the Forest Service grizzly bear artificial insemination team?

[21twelve]

“Yep - and dang glad we were doing it artificially!”

[frog in a pot]

My vague impression is that those jobs have gotten much safer due to increased use of safety harnesses, etc.

You may be quite correct. Even a few decades ago the basic ironworking tool belt had heavy metal rings that would allow a worker to carry a safety line and "snap in" around the iron when working off the ground. However, when moving around on open iron or working in a flat area, snapping in was very inconvenient and simply not practised. Today, it may be a strongly enforced safety requirement.

[Southack]

"Actually, the most dangerous job is President of the United States. I believe you have about a 10 percent chance of being assassinated."

Oddly, one single man was present for the deaths of 3 assasinated Presidents: Richard (or Robert) Todd Lincoln. He was with McKinley, Garfield, and with his dad Abraham.

[Ratman83]

Yes but you know what they say close only counts in horsehoes, hand granades and nuclear weapons.

[cableguymn]

I’d rather travel the ice road in alaska with professional drivers (for the most part, there is car traffic as well) than what I do now. I am a courier in a major metro area. Surrounded by idiots I am ;)

[US_MilitaryRules]

I am working #1 and #3 at the same time. : ) I should be dead.

[Billthedrill]

Were you on the Forest Service grizzly bear artificial insemination team?

Yes, and second question - was it before or after your class on sex identification in Grizzly Bears?

[vetvetdoug]

For instance, I was cleaning the teeth of a Persian Snow Leopard when my anesthetist failed to use enough isofluorane to keep the cat under....

[Fledermaus]

I vote for this one: Fixing an antenna on the Empire State Building.

[Billthedrill]

For instance, I was cleaning the teeth of a Persian Snow Leopard when my anesthetist failed to use enough isofluorane to keep the cat under...

Oooh. Yeah. Yeah, that could be a little awkward. No chance of working from the inside?