While the vast majority of those around you spend their 9 am-5 pm comfortably seated behind their desks, this is not the case for everyone. Some people take great risks with their jobs. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annually ranks the most dangerous occupations around the world, listing the occupations with the highest risk of dying.

 

1. A bus driver in Guatemala City

In Guatemala, the rate of intentional homicide is four times higher than in Mexico. Hard to survive as a private bus driver, especially when you refuse to obey mafia gangs. More than 900 drivers have been murdered in recent years.

 

 

2. Airline pilot in Russia

In 2011, Russia was the country in the world with the highest risk of dying in a plane crash (ahead of the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Out of date installations, capricious weather, pilots addicted to vodka… Flying in Russia is indeed very risky.

 

3. Miner in China

Forced to work in very harsh conditions (explosions, landslides, floods, asphyxiation ...), the Chinese miners were 1,384 to lose their lives in 2012 (against 1973 in 2011). But these are the official statistics, which certainly need to be revised upwards as many mines are operated illegally.

 

4. A security officer in Iraq

The tense situation between Sunnis and Shiites is exacerbated by the war in neighboring Syria. In July, the attacks skyrocketed, and 1,057 people died, including 129 from the security forces.

 

5. Journalist in Syria

The press bothers the regime in place and the Syrian opposition. Journalists are also a fairly vulnerable target. Since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, more than 50 journalists have been killed, and several are imprisoned.

 

6. Minesweeper

Unsurprisingly, playing with explosives during working hours is quite risky, despite professional training and equipment.

 

 

7. Deep-sea fisherman

In the open sea, fishermen are exposed to great risks every day: storms, slippery bridges, nets weighing hundreds of kilos ... According to the BLS, the death rate in this profession is 200 deaths per 100,000 workers.

 

8. Lumberjack

Cutting down trees 20 meters high is not without risk. If the experiment allows to some extent to predict the fall of the trunk, it is not always reliable. It is enough for the tree to cling to other branches or for the weight of it to be incorrectly evaluated for the fall to be different from the expectations of the lumberjack.

 

 

9. Truck driver in Africa

Dying while driving a heavy truck in Africa is not uncommon. Between the trucks that are too old, the broken roads, the neglected highway code, and the attacks, the WHO (World Health Organization) explains that 80% of deaths on the road take place in poor countries, while they only have 50% of the vehicles in the world. Still, according to the WHO, the countries most affected are South Africa, Chad, and Burkina Faso.

 

10. A police officer in Mexico

The crime is extremely high in Mexico. In 2012, there were 75 murders per day, 98% of which go unpunished. The preferred targets of drug traffickers are, of course, the police, who represent the power of the state.