(ThySistas.com) It’s not always a box of roses, working in an office, typing away at a keyboard. But you can at least say that it’s not an inherently dangerous job — while there are some health troubles that can come from sitting and typing all day, they can be managed, and in any case, they’re not as dangerous as what may befall people in other occupations. Because indeed, there are some pretty dangerous jobs out there. Below, we take a look at nine professions that always carry with them a hint of danger.
On the Seven Seas
You might be surprised to learn that fishing is just about as dangerous as it gets in the United States. Now, we’re not, of course, talking about a person sitting in their quaint wooden boat, waiting for a hungry fish to snap their bait. We’re talking commercial fishing, which is physically demanding and dangerous. They’re often operating in a ferocious environment, far away from the shore, where the waves can hit huge heights. If something goes wrong, there’s no-one around to help. If someone goes overboard during a storm, it can be difficult to see where they are. For these reasons and more, commercial fishing is considered to be the most dangerous job in the states.
Building Up
Everyone knows that being a construction worker is a physically demanding job, but just how dangerous is it? Well, very, depending on the environment and type of project. A large percentage of head injury victims are working in the construction business when they have their accident. That’s because construction sites are generally dangerous places, and because proper safety procedures aren’t always followed. Whether it’s from the worker falling, items hitting the head from a great height, or general incidents involving heavy machinery, there are plenty of ways that an employee can get injured.
Professional Drivers
If you put yourself in dangerous positions often enough, then eventually something may happen to you. Take the example of truck drivers and, to a lesser extent, taxi drivers. There are plenty of things that can go wrong when you’re on the road, and if you’ve spending forty plus hours a week driving, then the odds of an incident shoot up. Of course, sometimes the danger is self-inflicted (for example, the driver fighting fatigue to finish their shift early, or driving more dangerous than usual because they “know the roads”). In any case, when you’re in dangerous territory, there’s always a chance of danger!
Feeding the Nation
It’s not easy being a farmer. Their prices are going down, they work long hours, and, what’s more, they’re open to dangers than general office workers will never have to contend with. Take the machinery they use for example. While there are modern, safer machines, the fact of the matter is that when you’re using blades and other slaughtering weapons, there’s a chance that you end up injured. And that chance only increases if you’re inexperienced or you’re feeling fatigued from your many days of hard labor.
On the Front Line
Not many people knowingly walk into dangerous situations every day, but that’s just part of the job for people who are on the front lines, especially police officers and firefighters. On any given day, a firefighter could find themselves combating a fire in an unstable building that’s at risk of collapse. A police officer could find themselves in an encounter with an armed citizen. You just never know what’s going to happen when you’re working in these jobs. Search and rescue teams, too, are nearly always in danger, since they’re going into areas that were difficult enough to put someone in trouble.
Professional Athletes
How often do you put your body on the line as part of your job? Probably not all that often. Professional athletes do, all the time. In some sports, they’re not just pushing themselves to the limit, but feeling the brute force of someone else who is also pushing themselves to the limit. NFL players may be well paid, but it’s important to remember that the sheer brutality of the sport means that the average career length is under four years. Even if they’re not the victim of one huge injury, the accumulation of many minor injuries is often enough to call it a day on their careers.
All Things Electrical
One thing that people should be more grateful for is the general safety of their home, especially their electrical systems. In the olden days, electrical systems were outright safety hazards, always at risk of giving a shock or causing a fire. They’re much safer now, but that safety doesn’t just happen: it’s because a quality electrician has rigged things up in a safe way. Before it’s safe, however, it’s dangerous, and it’s at this point when the professional interacts with the system. The threat of electrical burns and other issues are just a fact of life for these tradespeople.
In the Great Outdoors
If you’re working in an airconditioned, wonderfully secure office building, then spare a thought for the people who are working in the great outdoors. They can feel the benefit when it’s sunny and they’ve got an easy job, but that’s the exception, not the rule. For the most part, they can find themselves working in extreme weather, working with dangerous tools, and sometimes far away from other people, especially in the case of park rangers. If something goes wrong, then they’re on their own.
Pilots and Flight Attendants
Now, flying is the safest way to get around, but there’s something important to keep in mind. And that’s that when something does go wrong, it’s not likely to be a minor incident. As such, the potential for danger when we’re talking about air travel is substantial. This, coupled with long working hours and stress means it’s a position that can be pretty harmful to people working in the industry.
So next time you feel like complaining about your job, think of the positions above: yours won’t seem so bad anymore!
Staff Writer; Shawna Moore