Aside from throwing out your back while changing the jug at the water cooler, some jobs are fairly risk-free. On the other hand there are a number of industries in which hospital visits are routine. This article uncovers the facts about dangerous work and which industries file the highest number of worker’s compensation claims annually.
Per capita, the number of worker’s compensation claims of a hockey franchise is off the charts. Hockey is one of the fastest moving, heavy contact sports in the world. Each player is covered from head to toe in protective gear taking punishment from being slammed against the boards, slashed with a hockey stick, struck by a puck or even being punched in the face. So if you’re looking to reduce your chances of ever filing a worker’s compensation claim, don’t become a hockey player.
All silliness aside, let’s look at the larger and more common industries that are considered dangerous by the workers compensation groups of America. Each company files a number of worker’s compensation claims throughout the year. Every industry has their own risk index based on annual claims. Worker’s compensation claims are broken down into injury groups. The most common types of claims (ordered by the number of each claim type from highest to lowest) are:
- Work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, back and upper extremity
- Struck by/against
- Fall from same level
- Fall from elevation
- Work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the lower extremity
- Motor vehicle injuries
- Caught in/under/between
These account for roughly 95% of all claims and most of these worker’s compensation claims come from the same industries. Some of these industries can do a better job of providing a low-risk work environment and safety. The insurers are overloaded by the number of claims, so the state mandates that certain high-risk companies be added to an Assigned Risk Pool (ARP) which charges each of these ARP companies a 25% surcharge to every premium.
The most dangerous jobs in America according to the size of the industry and number of worker’s compensation claims are:
- Construction
- Logging
- General Freight Trucking