Nearly 4,800 fatal workplace injuries were reported in the United States in 2020 — which is just under 3.5 fatalities for every 100,000 full-time workers, according to data. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Joel Bissell | MLive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — For the majority of Americans in the workplace, dying on the job is not a significant risk or a thought, but some of the most essential occupations could pose risk of injury, despite workplace protections.

Nearly 4,800 fatal workplace injuries were reported in the United States in 2020 — which is just under 3.5 fatalities for every 100,000 full-time workers, according to data. While workplace safety has improved over the last two centuries, there are some jobs that are more dangerous than others.

Data journalism website Stacker analyzed the occupations with the highest fatal injury rates, according to 2020 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rates are calculated per 100,000 full-time worker equivalents, meaning the rate may be higher than the actual total number of fatalities, which Stacker also provided.

Here are the top 10 jobs in the United States with the highest fatality rates.

10. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

-- 20.9 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 207

Transportation incidents — particularly overturned tractors, which can weigh an average of around 5,000 pounds — are a leading cause of death among agricultural workers, according to Stacker. And while it’s not noted as a cause of death, workers in this industry face prolonged exposure to hazardous chemicals in pesticides and fertilizers.

-- 21.6 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 10

Mining-related fatalities have dropped significantly over the last century, but jobs in this industry will always inherently bear serious risks, according to Stacker. Most common deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), include falling earth, machinery and haulage accidents, and explosions.

8. Driver/sales workers and delivery truck drivers

-- 25.8 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 887

These workers are at most risk of being involved in a vehicular accident. Stacker reports transportation-related incidents are the leading cause of death among delivery drivers, hitting a five-year high in 2019, according to a 2021 BLS report. The second most common cause of death was homicide or suicide.

7. Structural iron and steel workers

-- 32.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 16

Iron and steel workers construct the metal frameworks of buildings or other structures — and this requires them to perform strenuous tasks at great heights, while balancing on narrow girders. Falls from significant heights are the most common cause of death among workers. Workers are also at a greater risk for lacerations and burns, according to Stacker.

6. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

-- 33.1 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 30

Transportation-related incidents are the most common cause of death among waste collectors, according to Stacker. These includes being involved in a crash, being struck by the truck while outside of it, or falling off the back.

5. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

-- 34.3 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 50

“Although plane crashes are rare, when they happen, they are usually fatal. Poor weather conditions, malfunctioning navigation systems, mechanical breakdowns, and human error are common issues across many industries, but in aviation, they are deadly,” reports Stacker.

-- 43.3 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 19

While helpers are not always specialized craft workers like electricians, carpenters, or brick masons, they are responsible for helping keep construction sites safe, clean, and orderly.

Falls, slips and trips are historically the leading cause of death among construction workers, reports Stacker, but transportation incidents, contact with dangerous substances and equipment, and electrocutions are also significant dangers that can lead to death at a construction site.

-- 47.0 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 88

Fatalities among roofers are most often caused by falling from roofs, ladders, or scaffolding, according to Stacker. These falls can happen due to inexperience, user error, malfunctioning safety equipment, or neglecting to use any fall arrest system.

-- 91.7 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 42

Loggers are responsible for cutting down trees or limbs and transporting the pieces, and this work puts workers at risk of falling from significant heights, being injured by equipment designed to cut through wood, or being struck by logs weighing thousands of pounds, Stacker reports.

-- 132.1 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

-- Total fatal work injuries: 42

Commercial fishers, hunters and trappers face some of the most hazardous work conditions of any profession, contending with dangerous weather, wildlife and machinery, according to Stacker. Roughly half of commercial fishing fatalities between 2000 and 2015 were a result of a disaster that damaged the vessel— like flooding, rogue waves, or storms — according to the CDC. About 30% occurred when a fishing worker fell overboard.

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