What is the Most Dangerous Industry?

At Charles J. Argento our Houston workers’ compensation attorneys keep a sharp eye on work-related injury, illness, and fatality trends to help provide our clients with the legal knowledge, skills, and resources they need to pursue real results for their Texas cases.

The reality is, work-related dangers can be defined in several ways, so there is no one answer to which industry is the most dangerous. Here, we explore how workplace dangers are measured, and which industries lead to the most dangerous occupations.

Determining the Most Dangerous Industry Depends on How It Is Measured

Determining the most dangerous industry depends on the measure used to produce the rankings. Rankings can be dramatically different depending on the measure rate, which may include the death rate, number of deaths, and the nonfatal injury and illness rate.

With that in mind, the National Safety Council reports the following rankings.

Most Dangerous Industry Ranked by Death Rates

The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry experiences the highest death rate per 100,000 workers each year. Transportation fatalities are the leading cause of death in this industry.

Most Dangerous Industry Rank by Number of Deaths

Since 2012, the construction industry has experienced the most work-related deaths in the nation, followed by the transportation and warehousing industry. The leading fatality event in the construction industry is falls while motor vehicle crashes are the leading event in the transportation and warehousing industry.

Most Dangerous Industry Ranked by Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses

Most dangerous industry

Beginning in 2020, largely because of COVID-19 illnesses, the education and health services industry, followed by state and local governments, experienced the most nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work,

Before 2020, the education and health services industry ranked 7th highest in injury and illness rates per 10,000 workers to the highest, overtaking transportation and warehousing for the top spot.

Last year, with the decrease in illness cases, education and health services fell back to fourth, with transportation and warehousing returning to the highest ranking.

Have You Been Injured at Work in Texas? Contact Our Houston Personal Injury Attorney Today for Help

No matter which industry you work in, getting hurt at work can change every aspect of your physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

Texas does not require most private employers to have workers’ compensation. This means if you are hurt at work, and your employer does not have workers’ compensation coverage, our Harris County personal injury lawyer may pursue your case to reach the necessary legal remedy that will give you your life back.

No matter which insurance coverage option our Houston personal injury attorney at Charles J. Argento pursues for your full financial recovery, our law firm does not get paid until we obtain a settlement or verdict for your unique case.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation by calling 713-225-5050 or by contacting us online, so together we can pursue justice for your workplace injury.

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