Top 10 Most Dangerous Vocations

The concept of work is something upon which modern society relies, and in turn functions completely. The very idea of a well-organised society is one in which each and every member pulls their weight through maintaining their own particular role. Whether supplying a service, providing assistance or fulfilling some form of duty, vocations have gained a lot more in the way of personal definition and indeed accessibility over the course of the past century or two. Whereas in times past, the role performed by working men would nine times out of ten be determined by the profession of their father, nowadays there is usually a lot more choice involved. This is partially due to the extent which the world has changed in the last 200 years, but also somewhat owing to the integration of most if not all prevalent human societies, an occurrence which in turn has opened up a considerably sized market for jobs and professions. This list is intended to take a look at some of the more dangerous occupations available in the current market.

10. Roofer

The job of a roofer is simple: to construct and/or maintain roofs. Also known as ‘tilers’ and ‘journeymen’, these professionals belong to one of the most archaic industries, yet one of the more contemporary trades. Classed alongside the likes of joiners, builders and welders- the roofing vocation belongs to the construction industry and is known within as one of the more perilous of the available vocations. While construction in itself is an area of employment which yields some of the highest rates of accidents and injuries, roofing is certainly accountable for the vast majority of such instances. Working atop semi-finished/dilapidated structures frequently, roofers are often held completely at the whim of the elements- with both wind and rain to contend with. Though it may seem like a trade for the lowly-skilled to many, it is certainly one of undeniable grit.

9. Trucker

The silent heroes of most, if not all current industry- truckers are the dudes responsible with hauling all kinds of cargo from A points to B points all over this marble-like globe of ours. To put the danger faced regularly by truckers into perspective one merely needs to consider the amount of lives claimed annually on our worlds roads and highways as it stands. Now add to that statistical likelihood of perilous road-accident around 18-hours per day of solid driving and a multiple tonne truck and trailer. Truckers are so bad-ass that there are even TV shows about them being so bad-ass.

8. Mining

Believe it or not, mining is an industry which still employs a pretty large amount of people in this crazy world of ours. Granted, there may be far fewer miners in the west than there was a century ago; however we’ve still got to extract our (unrecyclable) god given minerals somewhere, right? It surely doesn’t take the mind of genius to work out the many aspects of this profession that make it in some way dangerous. Digging extensive underground tunnels and extracting the content of the planets insides is always going to be an exercise likely to lead to problems. A recent example of miners encountering such trouble is of course the plight of the Chilean miners back in 2010.

7. Coast Guard

Whereas the previous items on this list could be accused of lacking a certain charisma or glamour, you’d have to be a fool to deny the Coast Guard the points they well and truly deserve. A fairly new vocation; at least in its modern form, given that we’ve always had coasts to guard, the Coast Guard are the unsung heroes of the emergency services. Though undeniably lesser utilised than their peers in the fire service or police, the Coast Guard still carry out some pretty sweet work now and then. In many ways, their expert training, tip-top fitness and required elementary conditioning makes them the closest service to the military. Oh, and they get to ride about in helicopters, regularly.

6. Pilot

Aeromechanics has only existed for about a century, making it a professional industry very much still in its infancy, comparatively speaking. Many people credit the First World War as the era which gave human flight its first breaths, and many would be 100% right about that. I mean, what better way to hone a recent ground-breaking invention than to involve it in a relentless global conflict? I digress, the young age of aeromechanics (though let’s not deny just how far it’s come during the past century) makes it prone to frequent accidents, as does the sheer amount of craft constantly circling the globe. We’re talking sheer statistical inevitability here people.

5. Fire-fighting

I truly resent even having to explain myself on this one. The clue is in the name when it comes to the ways in which the profession of ‘fire-fighting’ is dangerous, if we’re being totally fair. As fulfillers of one of the ultimate ‘macho vocations’; fire-fighters enjoy having a reputation as one of those guys with an ultimately macho vocation. In all seriousness though, these people go through some rather intense training and deserve all the credit they get. To put some kind of angle onto the dangers involved in fire-fighting, an average of 100 fire-fighters die each and every year in the US alone as a direct result of their work.

4. Logging

Another manly-man vocation which has done so well in convincing people of its masculine merit, that there are now several TV shows based around a handful of the professionals operating within. And that’s what it’s all about really, isn’t it? On a more serious, or just simply a less sarcastic note, an average of 80 loggers die every year, either at work or due to injuries implemented at work- according to recent statistics released by the US Department of Labour Statistics. The dangers which are likely to cause many of these deaths aren’t exactly unimaginable, felling huge trees that have been rooted in for centuries, and in often unpredictable environments is a pass-time bound to get you hurt sooner or later.

3. Military

One of the most ancient professions, military service has been at the heart of most communities world-wide for, well- forever. Contemporarily split into three separate areas of service, namely Army, Air Force and Navy- the military provides a worthwhile career and bucket-loads of raw opportunity to many people. On the flip-side however, it also often involves direct combat with an unfamiliar aggressor. Where I to attempt to name each and every conflict to claim the life of a serviceman/woman we’d be here forever. The main implication of serving in the military is that you may one day stare death right in the face. It is widely accepted in society, and delivers on its promise more-so during times of widespread warfare than when things are relatively quiet.

2. Law Enforcement

Whereas the military are tasked with going overseas and dealing with foreign aggressors in the defence of their homeland, those involved in Law Enforcement must take on the more monumental task of domestic threat. From the petty operations of low-level thieves, to the infiltration of well organised criminal empires, the police forces of the world are involved constantly with the apprehending, punishment and prevention of citizen law-breakers. In a world which is rapidly changing, this can hardly be described as an easy task, especially given most people’s unbalanced perception of Law Enforcement officers.

1. Commercial Fishing

A top-spotter likely to cause surprise, the vocation of commercial fishing is said to claim more lives (pound for pound) than any other profession in the world. It is said that we, as a species, know more collectively about outer space than we do about our own seas and oceans. Despite millennia after millennia of relying on the sea to provide us with so much more than fish to eat, we’re still massively oblivious to its sheer unharnessed power and force. Commercial fishing has always been a dangerous game, with our planets high seas capable of swallowing even the largest of crafts in an instant, however more and more light is being shed on the matter all the time. According to the nations Department of Labour, 50 of all the 39,000 commercial fishing workers in the United States died at work in 2008. That’s a rate of approximately 129 per 100,000 workers. Shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers indeed.