Death is a natural part of the cycle of life, and it’s one that people have to prepare for. What will funeral expenses cost? Will my family be taken care of when I take out that income protection insurance? Have I lived a full life? These are only a few of the questions which come up when thinking about death.
Most people want to die in the comfort of their homes, surrounded by loved ones, but, unfortunately, this sometimes isn’t the case. For some of us, death can come in the workplace. Australia has to deal with this issue on an annual basis, in a variety of fields. According to recent findings, 110 Australian workers have been killed at work since September 10th, 2020. In the previous year, 182 Australian workers were killed while working, and 144 workers were killed while working in 2018. What kinds of jobs lend themselves to participating in this high mortality rate? Below is a list of the 7 deadliest jobs in Australia.
1. Transportation Drivers
Transportation drivers such as job positions as truck drivers, postal drivers, delivery drivers, and storage and warehouse drivers. Up until September of 2019, there were 46 deaths among transportation drivers, followed by 36 related preliminary worker deaths leading up until September 10th of 2020. Driving can be a dangerous activity and can be made even more dangerous by the inclusion of large vehicles that are used by transportation drivers.
2. Agricultural Workers
Agricultural related workplace deaths in Australia haven’t remained at a steady rate of 22 deaths before September 10, 2019, and before September 10, 2020. The agricultural field includes both the fishing and forestry fields. As with transportation, there are a variety of factors (weather, animal attacks, dealing with large machinery) which can, unfortunately, play a part in worker deaths.
3. Public Servants and Administration Workers
Prior to September 10, 2019, there were 8 deaths in this field, and from the period of September 10, 2019-September 10, 2020 these increased to 12. Though not facing as many dangerous factors as working in transportation or the agricultural field, public and administration workers face a fair share of dangers when working in Australia. For example, this category includes working to ensure the safety and defense of the Australian government in roles such as a police officer.
4. Manufacturing Workers
Working in the manufacturing fields includes working in places where a person will be asked to complete such tasks as operating heavy machinery, picking up heavy loads, or even working near hazardous waste or chemicals. The stats for deaths in this field though didn’t experience a huge increase (8 deaths pre-September 10, 2019 to 9 deaths September 10, 2019-September 10, 2020) as in the case of other fields. Factories are places where accidents like these might occur.
5. Mining Workers
Mining has actually experienced a drop in worker-related fatalities over the past few years (8 deaths pre-September 10, 2019 to 5 deaths September 10, 2019-September 10, 2020). Though that is the case, mining can be a dangerous field to go into. Fatalities in such workplaces include falling down abandoned shafts, deaths as a result of workplace injuries, or even being killed by machinery.
6. Construction Workers
Deaths in the construction field increased from 15 deaths pre-September 10, 2019 to 18 deaths September 10, 2019-September 10, 2020. Construction-related deaths can happen as a result of a few factors including being exposed to faulty wiring, falling from great heights, or once again, being harmed by on-site equipment or tools. Though lucrative, a career in construction is one that requires a person to always be on their toes in order to avoid the inherent dangers in the field.
7. Retail Workers
The retail field might be the safest field to go into that’s included on this list. With only 1 death to happen from September 10, 2019, to September 10, 2020, retail workers can breathe easy knowing that they aren’t working in a field where death happens on a regular basis. Deaths in this industry can happen due to on the job accidents associated with lifting large boxes or crates, traffic accidents in the warehouse while using large machinery like forklifts, or even being the victim of an armed robbery.
Regardless of your own occupation and the dangers included in your line of work, make sure that your family has the financial security that comes with taking our income protection insurance. If you were to lose your life on the job or to experience either a long-term disability or a short-term disability you’ll want any future expenses to be covered by disability insurance or disability benefits. Compare insurance company options online to make sure that you’re getting the best option for income protection insurance.
