Riskiest, most dangerous job sectors in California: report
FILE-Employees work at their desks in an office in Somerville, Mass. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
While all sorts of jobs have some sort of occupational hazards, five industries in California see more injuries and fatalities than others, according to a study by Hansford Law, workers' compensation attorneys.
Hansford Law pulled data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"Safety in the workplace is vital, and employees should feel confident that they can carry out their jobs without harm," said Wes McDaniel of Hansford Law over the findings.
"It is saddening to see the amount of people who have lost their lives due to their occupation, and it is important to remember that these are individuals, not just numbers. This data aims to show which roles need to be approached with care and to encourage employers of these occupations to reevaluate safety standards," McDaniel said.
Here are the top five most dangerous job sectors in California, based on fatality rates:
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Transportation and utilities
- Construction
- Professional and business services
- Wholesale and retail trade
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting
The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting job sector scored #1, with the BLS reporting 14.3 fatalities out of every 100,000 workers in California.
This job sector includes growing crops, raising livestock, and gathering timber, with workers earning an average yearly salary of $43,987, according to the study.
Transportation and utility
Ranking second was the transportation and utility job sector. This sector includes workers transporting both cargo and passengers, and working with electric, gas, and sewage removal.
The sector has around 8.6 million people in its workforce as of 2022, according to the study, with an average salary of $63,923. Fatalities were reported to be around 7.4 for every 100,000.
Construction
In third place is the construction job sector, with a fatality rate of 5.8 of every 100,000 workers in California, the BLS reported.
This industry includes carpenters, electricians, and plumbers, earning an average wage of $40 an hour.
Professional and business services
Fourth on the list is the professional and business services sector, with jobs ranging from company management to accounting. Salaries vary from $47k-$65k.
The BLS did not specify what fatal injuries were seen in this industry but said the rate for California was 2.7 for every 100,000.
Wholesale and retail trade
Landing in fifth place was wholesale and retail trade, with a fatality rate of 2.6 out of every 100,000 workers.
Hansford Law reported this job sector has over 20 million workers with an average salary of $36 an hour in the U.S.
Workers in this industry are in customer-facing roles and/or work behind the scenes.
"It is the last step in the distribution of products to the public," Hansford Law said.
This story was reported out of Oakland, Calif.