If you’re looking for a change of career and want a profession that offers challenges and thrills, look no further. We’ve compiled a short list of four dangerous jobs and what you need to know to do them. But don’t enter these professions lightly! People who acquire these jobs face harsh working conditions and the threat of physical harm or even death. Still, the rewards for doing the job are worth it.
Refuse Collectors
Driving around town, collecting trash, and tossing it in the back of a garbage truck might not seem hard to you, but the role of a garbage collector is fraught with opportunities to get hurt or worse. Many folks who work in the sanitation industry experience injuries like sprains, broken bones, and muscle strain. During collections, they encounter sharp objects that could cut them and cause infections, not to mention hazardous waste.
Vehicular accidents in and around garbage trucks are common, too. Refuse collectors need to be excellent drivers and well-versed in safety procedures so they can protect each other on the job.
Firefighters
Firefighters are constantly at risk of receiving first, second, and third-degree burns in their duties, but that’s not the only danger. Firefighters are also exposed to smoke, ash, and other substances that can cause asphyxiation. Long-term exposure can lead to eventual breathing issues, bronchitis, lung disease, and cancer. Firefighters need to be physically fit and well-versed in the use of their tools. Above all, firefighters need to know survival skills like being a team player.
Loggers
Working with trees, particularly cutting them, is hazardous. Loggers are often called upon to work in remote forest areas, so the nearest hospital could be miles away. Exposure to heat, cold, and foul weather takes its toll, of course. Likewise, scaling and pruning trees might lead to falls and extreme injuries, such as broken limbs. Loggers are also at risk of getting trapped under fallen trees.
Loggers use heavy-duty equipment to process fallen trees, and they pick up skills as they work. Wearing safety gear is paramount in this field.
Fishers
Another dangerous job takes place on the sea. If you want to become a fisher, you need to know that the remoteness of this career makes it difficult for emergency responders to come to your aid. Fishers work with heavy machinery, steel traps, and fishing lines, which provide numerous ways to lose digits and more. Slippery decks, burns from fishing lines, and falling overboard are leading causes of injuries and death in this field. Training and wearing safety equipment, like gloves and waterproof clothing, can protect you on the sea. You’ll likely never look at a can of tuna the same way again!
