According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), 5,333 employees lost their lives in 2019 secondary to on-the-job accidents. This statistic amounts to 3.4 fatalities for every 100,000 employees. In 2020, the number of employee-related deaths decreased to 4,764.
Many jobs have the potential to cause serious injury or death if employees don’t use proper precautions. Some of the most dangerous jobs in Alabama fall under the following occupations.
Commercial fishermen
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports that from 2000 to 2014, 164 commercial fishermen lost their lives after suffering a traumatic injury while working in the Gulf of Mexico. The various hazards of commercial fishing include:
- Rough waters can cause vessels to capsize and sink.
- Frigid waters can cause hypothermia and loss of life.
- High winds can cause crew members to fall overboard.
- Lack of safety equipment (such as lifejackets) can be fatal if a crew member falls overboard.
- Vessel fires can result in severe burn injuries.
- Heavy equipment can cause traumatic injury.
Logging
Alabama is more heavily forested than most other locations in the country. Thus, logging remains a major industry in the state. The forestry and logging industries also remain 1 of the most dangerous jobs in Alabama.
Statistics indicate that more than 132 fatalities occurred per every 100,000 logging employees in 2015. There are many ways in which forestry and logging employees suffer catastrophic injuries or death.
Accidents may occur while using chainsaws or various types of heavy equipment needed to transport logs from 1 location to another. Employees might become pinned or crushed by the weight of a falling tree. Cables used to pull trees to loading locations may break and hit a logger on the site.
Pilots and flight engineers
The BLS reports that 59 pilots and flight engineers lost their lives in 2017 secondary to suffering a serious injury. Of these, 22 pilots died while employed in the transportation and warehousing sector. Another 20 pilots died while employed in the air ambulance or flight training industries.
One obvious hazard for pilots is an aircraft malfunction that can cause a plane or helicopter to crash, but severe weather conditions and pilot inexperience can also lead to disasters.
Roofers
For 2020, the BLS reported that 149 individuals employed in the roofing industry died from on-the-job accidents. Catastrophic injuries most commonly occurred after an employee slipped and fell from a high elevation.
Suffering a heat stroke or becoming off-balance while using equipment or placing materials also frequently contributes to falls.
Refuse and recyclable material collectors
The BLS indicated that the refuse and recyclable material industry remains 1 of the most dangerous jobs in the country. In 2019, more than 35 employees were killed. In 2020, the number of fatalities dropped slightly to 33.
Fatalities occur secondary to coming in contact with hazardous materials, accidents involving heavy equipment or workers getting struck during a roadway collision.
Electrical power line workers
Power line installers and repairers work daily with equipment needed to facilitate the transmission of high-voltage electricity. A BLS report revealed that from 2017 to 2020, fatalities for workers in this industry dropped from 47 to 28.
Coming in contact with high voltages immediately causes severe burns and can lead to fatal electrocution. Workers might also fall from a great height while performing installations or repairs.
Iron and steelworkers
Contractor Daily News reports that fatalities in the construction industry rose in 2020. Statistics indicate that 18 iron or steelworkers died in 2019 and 16 fatalities occurred in 2020. The occupation is considered 1 of the most deadly jobs because of workers’ high risk of injury after falls from extreme heights.
Employees might also suffer injuries after being struck by falling or swinging objects. Walls have been known to collapse on workers. They might also inadvertently come in contact with high-voltage wires.
Truck drivers
A report published in 2020 by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that truck driver fatalities were higher in 2019 than in the previous 3 decades, with 892 deaths reported.
Fatalities most commonly occur following extreme collisions that severely damage the cab and cause catastrophic injuries to the occupants. Truckers might also be hit by a vehicle while outside of their truck or crushed when a truck rolls or falls onto them during maintenance or repairs.
Agricultural workers
A report submitted by the BLS indicates that 574 individuals lost their lives after suffering catastrophic injuries in 2018 while working an agriculture-related occupation. Factors that contributed to the fatalities included falling objects and accidents involving vehicles during roadway and non-roadway instances.
Accidents for farmers are also known to take place when using various types of agricultural equipment and tools. Contact with hazardous materials and working with large animals on a daily basis additionally pose risks.
Contact a workers’ compensation attorney
Regardless of whether your job is included in this list of most dangerous in Alabama, any employee can suffer a catastrophic injury or become the victim of a fatality at work. Consulting with an experienced worker’s compensation attorney increases the likelihood that employees or their surviving family members will receive the monetary compensation to which they’re entitled.
If you live or work in Birmingham and have been injured on the job, contact the experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at Nomberg Law Firm. We know how hard it can be to pay your bills and get back on your feet while trying to recover from a workplace injury. Our attorneys have extensive experience dealing with employers and insurance companies to get you the money you deserve. Call us today for your free, no-obligation consultation.
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About Nomberg Law Firm
Nomberg Law Firm has been helping people in Alabama recover fair compensation for their injuries since 1967. We know our clients are hard-working men and women who deserve the best representation possible. That’s why we’ve dedicated our entire practice to fighting for your rights after an injury. Our practice areas include: Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury, Automobile Accidents, Car Accidents, Social Security Disability Claims, Workplace Accidents, On-the-Job Accidents and Bankruptcy Law matters.
The small size of our family-owned firm allows us to focus on our client’s needs and enables us to provide individualized assistance and personal attention that larger firms simply can’t match.