Nowadays most of developed countries’ Gross Domestic Product is made in the service industries. Thus, the majority is employed as an office workers. We are surrounded by occupational health and safety regulations, security devices, safety certificates, health insurances and other stuff which makes us feel safe during our work. But there are some works which require courage. There is a noticeable group of irreplaceable people, whose work is extremely dangerous.
Miners
Even with present sophisticated equipment and safety regulations, miners are especially vulnerable to being injured. The number of fatalities connected with mining in 2008 in Poland amounted 22. Miners are endangered by well collapsing and methane explosion, which unfortunately are very common.
Loggers
One of the most dangerous profession is timber cutting. Loggers have an accident rate of about 120 per 100 000 workers, which is 30 times more than in a typical workplace. The main cause of death are falling trees – it is really hard to run between trees and through bushes. There are also many fatalities connected with working on a height. While hanging 100 feet in the air even a gentle breeze can result in serious injury or death. But tree-cutting is quite profitable – a good logger can earn 60 000USD a year.
Fishers
112 out of 100 000 fishers die during their work. Struggling with ocean is still difficult, even with modern fishing boats, advanced navigation systems and more accurate weather forecasts. Fishers know the risk and they accept it. Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” shows the most hazardous type of fishery – crab fishery. It is done during 4 or 5 weeks in winter, mainly in stormy, frosty Bearing Sea. Such conditions foster drowning, getting serious illness or getting smashed by some heavy gear. Fatality rate in the Alaskan shellfish industry reaches 400 deaths per 100 000 employees. Now then, why people decide to become crab fishers? The reason is simple – they can earn upwards 1 000 USD a day!
Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Fatality rate in this profession, compared to others isn’t very high – 35 people out of 100 000 employees dies during work with electricity. The number is low because of installers, who work with electricity turned off. Most of the deaths occur during preservation of high voltage lines, which cannot be turned off due to huge amount of electricity transfers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tzga6qAaBA
What do you think about above-mentioned jobs? Are they necessary? Is there any way of reducing number of deaths? Do you know any other dangerous professions?
Your statistics are interesting, but I think it would be good to show also their geographical diversity. In Poland in 2008 died 22 miners, In Ukraine probably twice more, in China thousands. Safety regulations aren't introduced in countries like China, India. Having information only from developed countries I think there is no really dangerous profesion - you can die also crossing the street. Only if we broeaden it to the rest of the world we can see that some workers should say goodbye to their families every time they go to work.
ReplyDeleteMy mistake. I forgot to mention that statistics come from the USA, where safety regulations are more strict.
ReplyDeleteAnd fatality rate in mining in the USA is 28 per 100 000.
Oh God, I'm glad that translators' profession is not as dangerous :P I think that people must be very brave to decide to do such jobs... Some of them are really well-paid but unfortunately not all of them. It's sad that many people risk their lives and don't get adequate wages... And they have no other choice...
ReplyDeleteI agree that these jobs are difficult and dangerous. Of course all of them are necessery for us. It is hardly believeable but I read than also dengerous job are poeple cleaning our cities. In addition soldiers are also run at a risk.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion with the most interesting work and dangerous is fisherman. I watched recently the program about people which are catching crabs. They are earning huge sums in 6 months of the work but: are absenting for half a year at home, fractions of seconds of the inattention can dead, a light switch is missing with the dry land for 6 months! From the other side for persons which like sea and brine (I belong to them) it can be the cool work and at the same time the hobby and the competition.
ReplyDeleteI think, that every job is in some sense dangerous - let's look on the example of grocer, who would stand, as usually, behind the counter, and suddenly he would have a robbery in his shop and die, murdered by robbers. But, of course, there are some extremely riskful jobs and those mentioned in the presentation belong to them. Many of them are really necessary (could we imagine our life without electricity?) and, although maybe they don't seem to, they need many technical and also natural skills (like a sense of balance).
ReplyDeleteTo those above-mentioned dangerous jobs I would add builders working on height and regular soldiers. All require courage, some of them are well-paid but often unskilled, thus despicable. Unfortunately, they're necessary and I'm afraid it's only possible to slightly reduce the number of "irreplaceable" people's deaths (by introducing proper regulations and upgrading security devices).
ReplyDeleteThey are some kinds of very dangerous jobs, for ex ample firemans, miners. This people are very necessary, because they help us in difficult situations and they save our life. I don’t know why, they don’t earn much money, but they should. This job has a big risk of death also.
ReplyDeleteI’m happy that in my family nobody works in this kind of job. In the future, I think, I won’t be a soldier. But I am terrified that we can see a teacher with a bin on head.
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ReplyDeleteTo be honest it surprised me that loggers have such a dangerous Job, I’ve never thought about it in that way.
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking about dangerous professions the first thing that came to my mind is debt collector or taxi driver. Maybe they only seem to be risky because of the movies in which they are often attacked by criminals.
Being serious, people who agree to work as a miner or fisher are aware of great danger connected with their jobs. On the other hand there are plenty of seemingly easy professions that after second thought can cost the worker a lot.
I've recently read a really interesting article about how dangerous are summer and part time jobs for young people. According to the latest research teenagers get injured in the job two to three times more than adults. Moreover, the most dangerous places to work in are restaurants and fast foods. Next time when you will order your burger with chips in Mc Donald be aware how risky was it for the staff to prepare it for you
If anybody want to read more about that topic check this out http://www.seattlepi.com/local/133386_teenjobs02.html
Probably, most of you have seen tv programme concern dangerous jobs broadcast on discovery channel. I have seen a few episodes but the most intresting for me was that one about crabs divers. They are kind of fishermen, focus only on fish out crabs. Crabs live in waters of New England and China sea-coast. The reason why this job is so dangerous is changeable climate. It is very unforeseeable and is characterized by long harsh winters. Unfortunetly, winter is a crab - season so conditions on sea a very unfavourable.
ReplyDeleteI think the number of deaths in such occupations could be reduced by using more robotic equiptment in such professions. Even thought that would probably cause a higher unemployment rate I think it is more important to ensure that the workers are safe.
ReplyDeleteAnother good example of a dangerous job is the policemen and security guard. The rate of death in these professions (espacially amongst policemen) are high. They must constantly endanger their lives in order to protect others.
But we should also keep in mind that it is impossible to avoid all dangerous situations in our everyday life. Accidents happen all the time, even in the least expected places, so I do not think there is such a thing as a 'safe' job. And even thought the jobs you have mentioned are probably more dangerous than others almost every job holds some sort of threat to life.
I think that this jobs are off course dangerous but it also necessary...I think taht there is a lot of deaths because people who worked there are not prepared enough, because most of this accident are caused by human mistake....
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion all of this jobs are dangerous and they exacting determination which often exceeded humans possibilities. But I'm thinking that the most dangerous ,and I cant deny terrible, is work in a mine. There is a lot of dangers like for example leak of gas or slide of soil. Moreover for me the most terrified is perspective of work in tight corridors under the ground.
ReplyDeleteI never think fisher's job could be dangerous. It's astonished... And, for me, one of the riskier job is rescuer. He should be strong, not only phisically, know the mountains very well and be prepared for every conditions. And the mountains are very dangerous ground, especially in the midwinter. Many of rescuers dei under the avalanches. Otherwise this job is involved with the responsibility.
ReplyDeleteWell I heard about this jobs before and about the the death rate. It's hard to say if there is a way to reduce number of deaths. It demands thorough knowledge about the job and it specifics, but I think that we should always remeber that safety first.
ReplyDelete> What do you think about above-mentioned jobs? > Are they necessary?
ReplyDeleteYes they are. Some countries couldn't earn enough money to prosper. Could you imagine Iceland without fishers?
> Is there any way of reducing number of deaths?
I believe that only technical advance can reduce number of deaths.
> Do you know any other dangerous professions?
Mercenary. I cannot support this guess with any numbers but I think it is a good shot. ;)
Hm, I think that this kind of job is needed. For example miners, fishers etc. Someone must do this job, even if it is not safty. I hope, that it is possible that we can enhance security in places where people work. I think that some organisation in our word should think about security in this places of work. They should create special comision of security in dangerous places of work. I think that we can motivate organisation to doing something for this people who are afraid of working.
ReplyDeleteAs it turns out the most needed jobs are also the most dangerous ones. We know that if that kind of jobs didnt' exist our lifes would be much harder so we must improve dangerous work conditions to minimalize any risk.
ReplyDelete@Are they necessary?
ReplyDeletea job is an economical term. as long as somebody pays for doing something and somebody accepts that payment - that particular job will exist.
@Is there any way of reducing number of deaths?
but why? people should be aware of the risks, i doubt they're forced to choose this jobs. it's their own risk, they don't have to do this.
@Do you know any other dangerous professions?
maybe firefighting? risking own life is probably a big part of this job.
In my opinion the jobs like miner, fisherman, electrical power-line installers and repairers are really difficult and dangerous. I also agree that all of them are very necessary for us and I can not imagine my life without lightly warm home, nigher wooden furniture nor delicious fish and crabs. I also think that government ought to introduce special rules to minimize the risk of deaths and other injures that can happen among people that perform these kind of professions.
ReplyDelete