DANGEROUS JOBS

COAST GUARD SEARCH AND RESCUE

Coast Guards hold one of the noblest and most virtuous of jobs

around as it involves saving people’s lives. However, it can also be

a very dangerous place to work especially in instances where the

saviours themselves need rescuing. Coast Guards are exposed to

many harsh environments and dangerous situations such as natural

disasters, sea rescues, night rescues, etc.

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

Construction workers are constantly exposed to hazardous materials,

explosives, power tools and heavy machinery. Moreover,

construction workers are also exposed to all sorts of hazardous

environments such as underground tunnels, busy highways, building

sites, and great heights.

ZOO KEEPERS

It should go without saying that handling wild animals is a

dangerous job. Most of the danger involves cleaning the animal’s

living quarters, feeding the animals and tending to their health needs.

You have to always be on your guard on this profession since one

wrong step could be the difference between life and death.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE WORKERS

These workers are not only heavily exploited, but the rate of

worker injury is three time that of other manufacturing and processing jobs.

These injuries range from repetitive motion injuries to serious injuries

that require amputation; a result of the demand for speed at the assembly

line, where workers are required to slaughter up to 50 cattle per hour.

OIL AND GAS CREW

Oil and gas crew’s deaths and injury were listed as 27.1 per

100,000 workers during 2003-2010. Besides the dangers of

contusions from slips and falls, they are also confined to small areas

where they are required to pull flammable fluids out of the grounds and

separate extremely poisonous substances. They also have to climb

hundreds of feet into the air to work with heavy machinery.

SECURITY GUARDS

Security guards help keep homes and business establishments safe

from robbers and trespassers. However, there is also a great chance that

they will have to face the intruders on their own putting their lives at

a considerable risk.

CEMENT AND CONCRETE MANUFACTURERS

Workers who frequently work with cement and concrete have a

high risk of suffering from cement burns and other respiratory illnesses.

Dry cement is a safe substance when it is still in its calcium oxide form.

However, once it is mixed with water, it becomes calcium hydroxide, which

is a heavily alkaline substance. Besides the danger of chemical burns,

they can also inhale the dust that comes from the cement, which can

cause respiratory illnesses.

FIREFIGHTERS

While this is a very noble job, it is also considered to be one of the

most dangerous ones. Though firefighters are trained to be able to handle

fire situations, there is no guarantee that they will not suffer injury when

they engage burning buildings. Besides the fire, other occupational

hazards can come from smoke inhalation, falling debris, and

separation from team members.

MILLERS

Grain handling may not sound like a dangerous job however with a

fatality rate of 12 per 100,000 workers it’s anything but safe. It only takes

five seconds for a worker to become engulfed in flowing grain and

unable to get out; 60 seconds for the worker to be completely submerged

thus resulting in death by suffocation.