Some of the most dangerous jobs in America are also very unusual professions. People who work in the timber industry or as professional fishermen are among those with the greatest risks at work. When it comes to more standard occupations, people tend to think of professions like construction and manufacturing as particularly dangerous.
However, workplace safety statistics show that the most dangerous jobs constantly change. In recent years, retail work has started to become more dangerous than work in other industries commonly recognized as high risk. Has the risk for retail employees exceeded the risk for manufacturing workers?
Injury rates are higher in retail in recent years
Just a few years ago, there was no question that manufacturing was one of the most dangerous common careers in the United States. However, in recent years, the most dangerous professions have changed. According to job injury statistics in recent years, retail work has become far more dangerous. In fact, statistics show that 3.5 out of every 100 retail workers get hurt throughout the year, which is higher than the 3.4 out of every 100 manufacturing employees.
There are many factors that contribute to these increases in retail risk when compared with manufacturing risk. One may be the impact of years of safety regulations on the manufacturing industry. Another may be a noticeable uptick in violence in retail settings in recent years.
Retail workers have to worry about violent members of the public committing crimes, repetitive stress injuries and slip-and-falls, among many other possible sources of injury.
Retail workers can qualify for workers’ compensation
The protection of workers’ compensation insurance extends to almost all employees in North Carolina, including workers who make minimum wage or only work part-time in retail environments.
If a retail worker gets hurt on the job or a doctor diagnoses them with a job-related medical condition, they may qualify for both medical and disability benefits. Sometimes, such as when a worker gets hurt during the commission of a crime, they may also have grounds for a lawsuit against the person who hurt them.
Learning more about job injury statistics and the protections for injured workers, like workers’ compensation insurance, can help those who have medical issues related to their employment.
