As a freelancer, I am the owner, president, secretary, creator, chief cook and bottle washer along with all the other positions you might think of! If something should happen to me, the whole business closes down! 😉 Alright, it’s a rather small business and since I work from home, I don’t think I’m facing many real dangers here!
However, there are some dangerous jobs out there that I’d certainly be afraid to take on! From memory, I can’t help thinking that such careers require good life insurance and/or income protection, especially when a family counts on your earnings to live.
So here is the list of Top 10 Dangerous Jobs. It’s entirely subjective and non-scientific and is pretty much based on my own fears! Don’t hesitate to share yours with me as well.
10. Acrobat
I’m afraid of heights. I just can’t imagine myself in the air relying on someone else to catch me with perfect timing. I know that this job is quite safe in reality as most acrobats are tethered or have a safety net underneath them. Still, the simple idea to climb up there would scare me to death!
9. Construction Laborer
My husband is one. Here again, heights are often part of the job. My husband sometimes has to literally climb on high level walls to install rods. He often reassures me saying they have safety straps and all this, but there are still risks of falling. On a minor level, injuries happen quite often for construction laborers, mainly due to equipment or small falls. Breaking an arm or a leg is never fun!
8. Farmer
Nowadays, agriculture implies machines of all kind. It might sound easy, but these engines can break, and they do! Sometimes, incidents happen when one wants to do the job too quickly and safety procedures are overlooked. What scares me the most though is the fact that more often than not, incidents happen in the middle of nowhere… where farmers are left by themselves and can suffer for hours before help comes!! Don’t like!
7. Trainer (Wild Animals)
Training a dog or a cat is not what I consider very dangerous. But, wild animals… Imagine you have to train a lion, gorilla or any other animals that can kill you within seconds if it decides its had enough! I’m a horse lover; I’ve participated in the training of some young ones. Simply falling off them can be risky, but it’s nothing like standing in front of a lion and asking it to give the paw! 😉
6. Lumberjack
I realised how dangerous this job can be when I first saw my father doing it. First of all, it includes a chainsaw! Do I really need to say more? 😛 Seriously, a chainsaw can be very harmful if you lose control of it. On top of that, it’s very hard to predict with certainty where a tree will fall. Wind, surrounding trees, a false probability theory, etc. can ruin the entire thing and then you’re stuck… underneath the tree! Not for me!
5. Researcher
How is being a researcher is dangerous? If you’re doing researches on highly dangerous viruses, it is! I have a friend who works on finding a treatment for the AIDS virus. She told me risks are quite low, but you have no idea what she must go through every time she enters the laboratory! Ever watched an epidemic horror movie? Well, that’s it! 😉
4. Diver
You’re in the water, deep in the water. You can’t breathe without that little gas tank on your back. It’s dark and there are sharks, reefs and other dangers we don’t even know of! Definitely not for me!
3. Skydiver
I did a parachute jump about 2 years ago. It surely was a lifetime experience and a moment for me to conquer one of my fears. As a recreational activity, it is quite safe. However, if you are like a paratrooper skydiver or something similar, that’s another story! You never know where or on what you’ll fall. Not to mention parachute malfunctions of any sort.
2. Fisherwomen/men
I like to fish, even though it has been years since I last went. Thing is, I do it on a calm lake with small fish. It’s completely different when you do it on high seas! Weather is quite a challenge in and of itself when your spend your days on the sea. This job was actually considered the second most dangerous one by Forbes in 2013.
1. Miner
It’s cold, humid and you don’t see the sunlight. You can already consider me gone! Nowadays, mines can be as deep as 4000 feet… sometimes more! On top of that (or below, haha), there’s often only one way out. If a collapse happens, chances of getting out on time are pretty slim. Now, I’m running away! 😉
Couldn’t be more convinced that these courageous fellows need income insurance to back-up risks encountered with their job! For example, AAMI offers Income Protection Insurance that will replace workers income in case of injuries or sickness. Should they be unable to work for a short or long period of time, such protection can avoid nightmares!
Which job would you avoid the most? How about income protection, do you think it’s important?
Image credit: Acrobat, Trainer, Coal Miner
