Firefighting comes with very obvious risks. Firefighters actively enter buildings that are burning and on the verge of collapse. They embrace that danger and heroically rescue people and animals inside those buildings.
However, firefighters are also very good at what they do, and they have the technology to back them up. While a fire is dangerous and unpredictable, they fight those fires as safely as they can.
In fact, you may be surprised by these five occupations that one study found were more dangerous than fighting fires:
- Working in the logging industry
- Doing commercial fishing, often on the ocean
- Working as a general-aviation commercial pilot
- Driving semi trucks
- Delivering pizzas
That last one usually creates the biggest stir. A pizza delivery driver is never considered a hero like a firefighter is, and no one thinks of it as a high-risk profession.
However, the risks are very real. For one thing, delivery drivers are on the road for the majority of their shifts. Car accidents in general are one of the leading causes of injury and death in the United States, and they face that on a daily basis.
On top of that, pizza delivery drivers tend to be young people, often in high school or college. This is the age group that often has the highest accident risks, year after year.
Overall, this list should help show you that many occupations can lead to serious injuries or even fatalities, not just the ones we think of as hazardous professions. If you get hurt at work, you must know what steps to take to get proper workers’ compensation.
