For Job Safety, Stay Out of the Ocean
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
The recent, shocking death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in Orlando, Florida, is being investigated by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration. OSHA wants to know if safety violations played a part in the death of Brancheau, who was killed by a killer whale.
I hadn’t considered that working in an aquatic park was particularly dangerous, but you never know. Which occupations are the most hazardous? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these workers have the highest risk of on-the-job fatality:
1. Fishers
2. Timber cutters
3. Airplane pilots
4. Structural metal workers
5. Farm workers
6. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
7. Roofers
8. Electric power line workers
9. Truck drivers
10. Taxi drivers
Of course, the list above only covers accidental deaths while working. On-the-job fatalities are only part of the job hazard picture. A great many lethal job hazards work slowly and silently, so that the fatality occurs off the job. Among these hazards is exposure to asbestos, which causes the deadly lung disease mesothelioma.
Although safety regulations have saved countless lives, perfect safety remains elusive. Fishing will remain dangerous as long as it involves boats and large bodies of water, for example. Boat failure — sinking or capsizing— is the most common cause of fishing fatalities, followed by falling overboard.
Modern fishing vessels probably are safer than the 19th-century model pictured, but commercial fishing remains dangerous compared to other kinds of jobs. In the period from 2000 to 2006, the U.S. fatality rate for commercial fishing was 1.15 deaths per 10,000 fishermen. By comparison the fatality rate for all occupations was .04 deaths per 10,000 workers.
If you must make your living fishing, try to stay out of the Pacific Ocean. Fishers who work off the shores of California, Oregon and Washington suffered a fatality rate of 2.38 deaths per 10,000 full-time fishermen. The Northwest Dungeness crab fleet has the worst safety record in U.S. waters.
For a long time, Alaska held the reputation as being the most dangerous place for commercial fishing, but the state took steps such as preseason safety inspections and emergency training that made a real difference. So, while many complain about government regulations, sometimes they save lives.
