Many people have to accept a certain degree of personal risk because of their jobs. School teachers get exposed to communicable diseases from the children they teach and are also at risk of violence in the workplace. Office workers can develop carpal tunnel syndrome or get hurt in a slip-and-fall while headed to a meeting with their supervisor.
Certain careers have a strong association with job risk. People look at many blue-collar professions, including construction and manufacturing, as particularly dangerous. Others point to the jobs with the highest rates of fatalities, such as timbering and professional fishing, as the most dangerous. However, dying on the job is relatively rare. Far more workers get hurt on the job. Therefore, identifying the jobs that are most likely to cause injury can provide a better idea about what careers involve the most risk.
What work environment is statistically the most dangerous?
Hospitals are the most dangerous places to work
There are numerous serious risk factors at most hospitals that can lead to worker injury or illness. Hospital workers have exposure to pathogens and dangerous equipment. They may get hurt as they rush to care for a patient in an emergency or may overexert themselves while providing patient support. They are also at risk of violent interactions with people withdrawing from drugs or experiencing mental health challenges.
According to an analysis of injury rates in different industries, the medical sector was the most dangerous. Specifically, hospital workers have more risk than construction and manufacturing employees. When looking at the number of lost-time incidents, there were more injuries in hospitals than in any other specific private work environment.
There were 157.5 injuries reported per 10,000 full-time hospital workers. The construction sector saw only 147.4 injuries per 10,000 workers, and manufacturing facilities saw 111.8 injuries per 10,000 workers, which was much closer to the average across all industries of 105.2 incidents per 10,000 workers.
Workers’ compensation protects most employees. People do not have to work in a high-risk profession to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Hospital workers have the same basic protections as those in manufacturing or construction. They can seek medical coverage for their treatment and disability benefits to replace lost wages.
Learning about workplace injury risks and workers’ compensation benefits can be helpful for people in all different professions. Medical employees are among those who may eventually require the support of workers’ compensation because they work in a dangerous environment.