What Jobs Have the Highest Risk of Injury at Work?
There are two different kinds of statistics that you can evaluate when determining how dangerous a specific workplace might be. Frequently, when people talk about the most dangerous industries, the statistics that they highlight relate to fatalities on the job.
Certain professions, including fishing, forestry, agriculture and construction, have unusually high numbers of worker fatalities reported each year when compared with most other lines of work. However, for every worker death that occurs on the job, there may be dozens of injuries that occur on the clock.
Just looking at fatality statistics will give you an inaccurate idea of how safe your job actually is. What professions create the most risk for injury for workers in Louisiana?
Injury Statistics Highlight an Unexpected Category of Professions
The jobs where you are most likely to get injured or develop a work-related medical condition are not in the industries that people often view as dangerous. According to the National Safety Council, education and health services are currently the most dangerous industries.
They report more work-related injuries and illnesses than other industries, even those that have higher fatality rates, like construction and professional fishing. The NSC does note that this was a massive shift, as prior to 2020, health and educational services had seventh place on the list of most dangerous professions as gauged by worker injuries and illnesses.
They cite an increasing number of workplace infections as one of the causes for this massive shift. Workers in healthcare and educational environments also have higher-than-average workplace violence risks and can easily over-exert themselves when engaging in patient care or moving equipment.
All Injured Workers Deserve Compensation
Workers’ compensation insurance exists specifically to protect employed adults from experiencing financial hardship because of job-related risks.
Even if your employer is not directly responsible for your injury or work-acquired medical condition, workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. You do not need to prove that your employer is to blame to connect with full medical coverage and possibly disability benefits.
Learning more about both workplace safety risks and workers’ compensation in Louisiana will help you get the support and financial protection you deserve if you get hurt or sickened on the job.