Two of the 10 most dangerous job sectors in America belong to the healthcare industry.
That fraction comes from a recent analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Columbus, Ohio-based Fitch Law Firm, which focuses on personal injury and wrongful death suits. The firm analyzed the number of nonfatal injuries in each industry per 200 million hours worked (or 100,000 full-time workers at 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year). The higher the rate of injuries, the more dangerous the law firm considers the job.
Ambulance services ranked third, with approximately 10.5 injuries for every 100,000 workers clocking 40-hour weeks — following veterinary services (13.8 injuries) and bottled water manufacturing (10.6 injuries). Nursing and residential care facilities were ranked the fifth most dangerous industry, recording 10.3 injuries per 100,000 workers.
Here's how other sectors of healthcare stacked up, listed alongside their rank out of more than 636 industries and nonfatal injury rate.
3. Ambulance services — 10.5 injuries per 100,000 workers
5. Nursing and residential care facilities — 10.3
12. Hospitals — 7.6
17. Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals — 7.1
34. General medical and surgical hospitals — 6.1
81. Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals — 5.1
169. Outpatient care centers — 3.9
330. Home healthcare services — 2.6
347. Offices of physicians, mental health specialists — 2.5
414. Home health equipment rental — 2.1
454. Medical and diagnostic laboratories — 1.9
539. Surgical and medical instrument manufacturing — 1.2
632. Direct life, health and medical insurance carriers — 0.1