There are over 4.6 million jobs in New York City. These jobs fall in a wide variety of sectors, from customer service workers to stock brokers, to doctors. And while many of these jobs will have you in an air-conditioned office building at a desk, a lot of them involve working outside and in less than ideal conditions.
Trying to decide which career works best for you, or are you concerned about the safety risks of certain professions? We’ve got you covered. Read on to learn about the 10 most dangerous jobs in New York City.
1. Construction Workers
Construction workers have some of the riskiest jobs in the city, by far. Through the United States, over 20 percent of fatalities in 2017 in the private sector were in the construction industry. Almost half of those deaths are due to falls, while others are due to being struck by objects, electrocutions, and being caught in or compressed by machinery.
As of February of this year, there have been 96 construction injuries in New York alone, luckily none were fatal.
Because of the risks associated with working in construction, this industry is highly regulated by OSHA. We have helped construction workers and their families recover millions of dollars for the injuries they got while working at dangerous New York construction sites.
2. Taxi Drivers
Taxi drivers face a unique set of risks with their jobs. First, taxi drivers deal with the risks that are inherent with being on the road all day and all night long. This includes the risk of being involved in a collision with another car and suffering injuries when their car malfunctions or there is inclement weather.
On top of all those risks, taxi drivers deal with the risk of driving the general public. They could be attacked, robbed, or injured by their fares, not to mention passenger interference with operating the vehicle.
3. Subway Workers
The number one rule of commuting on the subway is to stay behind the yellow line. That rule is in place because of the risks involved with the day-to-day operation of the subway. Unfortunately, for subway workers, there a number of risks associated with their job depending upon what they do.
Maintaining the subway system means regularly risking contact with the electrified third rail, and getting on the track to remove debris. Cashiers face the risk of being held up by robbers or verbal abuse from angry subway riders.
4. Bike Couriers
Bike couriers and messengers are the backbone of the city. They promote workplace productivity by making sure that important documents are transported between offices without requiring office workers to take time out from their work to deliver it themselves or waiting for those documents to come in the mail.
For all the good that they do, bike couriers face a significant amount of risk by doing their jobs. They have to ride their bikes in all types of inclement weather — from rain to snow to summer heat. They also risk being hit by a car.
On the upside, riding a bike five days a week is probably pretty great for their fitness.
5. Healthcare Workers
Working in healthcare is easily one of the most rewarding jobs out there. Your job is solely to help people recover from illness or injury or to prevent them from getting sick in the first place. You also have the knowledge to be able to make better choices for your own personal health.
But working in healthcare has its own set of risks. To start, you’re on your feet all day (or night) and work incredibly long shifts that can throw up your circadian rhythm. In addition to that, you risk the transmission of illness from your patients.
6. Police Officers
Police officers are some of the most revered members of the community. They help keep the community safe from people who want to do harm. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the riskiest jobs in any city.
Police officers deal with normal risks associated with patrol — being in their car for long periods of time puts them at a higher chance of being involved in an auto accident. But they also risk injury and death from dealing with suspects in the line of duty, or entering dangerous situations, such as the 9/11 attack, as first responders.
7. Sanitation Workers
Sanitation workers are the unsung heroes of the city (unless you were a resident of New York in 1968). They make sure the sidewalks are cleared of excess trash and debris so you don’t have to dodge it on your walk to work.
Sanitation workers’ jobs have a surprising amount of risk involved. At a minimum, it is a physically demanding job that must be performed on a daily basis. In addition, they are also dealing with heavy equipment and machinery, and they run the risk of getting hit by cars on the road while picking up the trash.
8. Firefighters
Firefighters will always be considered one of the most heroic and rewarding jobs out there. Who can forget the images of the firemen who responded to the 9/11 crises in NY?
Their job is to protect everyone from the risk of fire, but also from hazardous conditions. They are the first responders to car accidents and do the heavy lifting when someone is trapped in their vehicle.
Of course, with this heroism are some pretty high risks. Many firefighters are injured or lose their lives when fighting fires due to dangerous and unpredictable conditions. And like police officers, firefighters are first responders and face injury from being some of the first people on the scene.
9. Electricians
We don’t think about it much, but we need electricians more than we realize. They make sure your home is properly wired and not at risk for fire or electric shock. Of course, the very nature of their job is full of risks.
Electricians face the risk of electric shock on a day-to-day basis. This is no small risk, and its the reason that electricians need to be licensed in order to do their work. They also have to go into the private residences of people they do not know and risk injury from those people or even their pets.
10. Grounds Maintenance Workers
Grounds maintenance workers have an important, but a seemingly invisible job in the city. They work in all weather conditions and face heatstroke in the summer frostbite during the winter. They also operate dangerous machinery such as chainsaws, and risk loss of hearing from operating loud equipment like leaf blowers.
Do You Work In One of the 10 Most Dangerous Jobs?
These 10 most dangerous jobs have a significant risk of injury associated with them. That doesn’t mean you should avoid them, in fact, many people employed in these fields have a high level of job satisfaction. But know your risks, and know that if you get injured, there are resources available to help you recover.
Have you been injured on the job? We can help. Contact us today to find out what we can do to get you back on your feet and back to work.
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