Risky business

These are the 10 most dangerous jobs: You won't believe the top 5!

Image: John O'Nolan

All jobs come with risks, but some are far more dangerous than others. Certain jobs aren’t for everyone, yet someone has to do them—and many take them on with remarkable dedication and enthusiasm. Here are 10 of the most dangerous jobs in the world, ranked from least to most dangerous. Let’s take a look!

Image: Scott Rodgerson

This is likely one of the first professions that comes to mind when we think of dangerous jobs. While it’s true that police work can put an officer’s physical safety at risk, here it ranks at number 10 on the list. It may not be the most deadly job, but the high level of unpredictability and constant stress officers face makes it a career not suited for everyone.

Image: MRC Témiscamingue

When it comes to non-fatal injuries, factory workers are among the most at risk. With production lines filled with heavy machinery and hazardous materials, accidents happen more often than we'd like. In 2022 alone, over 350,000 non-fatal injuries were reported in US manufacturing jobs, many involving hand injuries from contact with equipment.

Image: Zetong Li

Traffic, especially on highways and busy roads, can be dangerous. Professional drivers must not only be familiar with their own vehicle and the road, but also remain alert to the unpredictable behavior of others. Fatigue from long hours of work is another significant risk factor. For these reasons, being a cab, bus, or truck driver can actually be more dangerous than being a police officer. Surprising, right? But it's true: according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, transportation incidents generally account for about 37% of all work-related fatalities.

Image: Jay Clark

Refuse collectors come in at #7 on the list. These everyday heroes face risks that most people are unaware of. Apart from dealing with constant traffic, they're exposed to contamination, harmful bacteria, and even physical injuries from sharp or hazardous items hidden in the trash. Applause for collectors and the incredible work they do!

Image: Zohair Mirza

If you're afraid of heights, this probably isn't the job for you. Roofers consistently rank among the top 5 most dangerous jobs in the US and the world! But it's not just the height that makes this job risky; handling heavy, sometimes hazardous materials while maintaining balance is enough to challenge even the most experienced tightrope walker. On top of that, cold, windy, or wet weather makes the job even riskier.

Image: Pedro Henrique Santos

Despite technological advances, mining remains a perilous job. Working deep underground comes with constant risk: tunnels can collapse, potentially trapping workers or causing painful, even fatal, injuries. In addition, remote locations, extreme temperatures, and exposure to chemicals and explosives only add to the dangers. For these reasons, miners rank at #5 on this list of the world’s most dangerous jobs.

Image: Rob Mulder

Just like us, you might be surprised to learn that farmers rank #4 among the most dangerous jobs. While life in the countryside may seem peaceful compared to the city, farming is actually very demanding.

Farmers work long hours and face constant risks: handling animals, operating large and dangerous machinery, exposure to pesticides and other chemicals, and working on uneven terrain, ladders, or inside silos are just some of the challenges they confront every day.

Image: Kristopher Allison

While miners face danger underground, pilots confront it in the skies. Being a pilot can be thrilling and rewarding, but it also carries serious risks. Operating complex aircraft at high altitudes means that any mechanical failure can be extremely difficult to manage. Pilots can’t always land immediately in an emergency and may have to remain in the air while troubleshooting. Add unpredictable weather into the mix, and it’s clear why this is one of the most demanding—and dangerous—jobs.

Image: Paul Einerhand

Commercial fishing is nothing like spending a relaxing Saturday casting a line with a friend. These workers can spend months at sea, operating heavy equipment while navigating rough waters, unpredictable weather, and even the dangers posed by marine wildlife. In the US, studies show that about 51% of fishing-related fatalities are caused by vessel disasters, while 30% result from falls overboard—making this one of the most perilous jobs in the world**.**

Image: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives

Using large axes and chainsaws while surrounded by massive trees that could fall at any moment is just one of the everyday dangers loggers face. In fact, the risk is so high that they hold the #1 spot among the world’s most dangerous jobs. Logging carries a high risk of fatalities and injuries each year, with most deaths caused by falling trees.

The day after us

Earth without humans: 11 things that happen when we’re gone

Image: Peter Herrmann

What if every human vanished right now? For the sake of this thought experiment, let’s assume that there was no big war, no virus—just poof, gone. Nature wouldn’t hesitate to reclaim what we built. From silent cities to nuclear disasters, the world would start changing immediately. Here’s what would actually happen, and how fast, if people disappeared from Earth.

Image: Andriy Nestruiev

Power plants need constant maintenance. Without humans, fossil fuel stations would shut down within just a few hours. Backup generators at nuclear and hydro plants might last a couple more days, but without human oversight, even they’d fail.

Eventually, power grids would collapse worldwide, and complete darkness would fall on cities within a day or two.

Image: Nenad Spasojevic

Pumps in underground transit systems like NYC’s run nonstop to keep out water. Without maintenance (and more importantly, power), those pumps would stop working in just a couple of days.

By the end of the first week, tunnels would begin flooding, damaging infrastructure, and washing out entire underground networks.

Image: Praswin Prakashan

Most domestic animals rely entirely on humans for food, water, and shelter. Dogs might form feral packs, but millions—especially indoor pets—would eventually die of starvation.

Livestock like cows and chickens would perish or become easy prey, disrupting rural food chains. However, within a few generations, some could revert to free-roaming behavior, similar to their wild ancestors.

Image: Lukáš Lehotský

Without humans, nuclear power plants would quickly become major hazards to all surviving life. Most reactors would automatically enter into safe mode and shut down within hours, as automated systems detect the loss of the electrical grid.

However, cooling systems require active maintenance. Within a short time, without intervention, reactor cores would begin to overheat. Multiple Fukushima-style meltdowns could occur, releasing radioactive material into the air, soil, and water across entire regions.

Image: Juan Manuel Núñez Méndez

Salt, moisture, and wind would destroy most human-made bridges within decades. Without protective coatings, steel corrodes and load-bearing cables weaken over time.

Even iconic structures like the Golden Gate Bridge would likely collapse within 100 years. In contrast, ancient Roman structures and other archaeological remains that have already endured for millennia could survive for many centuries more, barring major seismic events or other natural disasters.

Image: Erik Mclean

Many animal populations would thrive without humans suppressing them. Species once hunted or crowded out would reclaim territory.

Wolves, bears, deer, and even predators like big cats could return to their former ranges, reshaping ecosystems quickly.

Image: Miikka Luotio

Plants would break through pavement and reclaim roadways within a few years—something nature wastes no time doing, as we can see in any abandoned roads or areas today.

Tree roots and erosion would be the first to crack and crumble concrete and asphalt. And without vehicles to maintain wear patterns, roads would soon disappear under grasses, shrubs, and eventually forest.

Image: Tejj

Like many human-made structures, dams require active monitoring to prevent erosion, cracking, and overflow. Within a few decades, silt buildup and unchecked water flow would cause many to breach or collapse.

The resulting floods would be catastrophic, reshaping river valleys and floodplains across entire continents.

Image: Nik

What would happen to our cultural legacy? Without us, it won’t last long. Books, paintings, and digital media would begin to degrade quickly.

Even in semi-protected conditions, paper would yellow and crumble. Museums without climate control would suffer from mold and temperature damage. Hard drives and servers would corrode and become unreadable within decades.

Image: Cédric Dhaenens

Despite the chaos our disappearance would bring to most ecosystems, there’s a silver lining: greenhouse gases would decline over time, gradually cooling the planet. Oceans and plants would absorb the excess CO₂.

Within a few hundred years, global temperatures could return to pre-industrial levels, though damage like ice sheet loss would take millennia to undo.

Image: jean wimmerlin

Most recognizable evidence of human civilization would vanish over a few thousand years. Materials like plastic, glass, and some metals might persist for over 500,000 years, but nature would slowly break them down.

Concrete crumbles, buildings collapse, and corrosion eats metal. After 10,000 years, only massive stone structures like Mount Rushmore or the Pyramids might remain—weathered and barely recognizable. Even our radio signals would eventually fade into cosmic background noise.