Comments on: America’s Deadliest Jobs

By: CommentKiller

CommentKiller — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:07:16 +0000

Ha! I’ll bet you typed that with a smile. I always did like Mr. Twain, and have heard that quote before.

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:50:18 +0000

CommentKiller: That’s pretty much common knowledge. 67% of statistics are made up on the spot. As Mark Twain said (paraphrasing Disraeli) ‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.’

By: CommentKiller

CommentKiller — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:26:19 +0000

According to an article in Reader’s Digest, numbers and statistics can be manipulated as desired to support the author’s point. Unfortunately, this article was written over 20 years ago and I don’t remember the date of printing, but I am sure the conclusion is still true today.

By: Gauldar

Gauldar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:35:36 +0000

Ahh, the wonderfull world of statistics.

By: chrism

chrism — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:01:28 +0000

Joel is correct. With 8 presidents dying in office, that is a 18% on the job fatality rate, 9% of which are due to homicide.

I believe that the deadliest place to work for an American worker is the deck of an air craft carrier.

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:53:51 +0000

The deadliest job in the United States is President of the United States. Makes fishing and logging look positively safe.

By: cobaltblaze

cobaltblaze — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:16:42 +0000

Wumpa – they are using averages, so just plain numbers won’t fit in.

10 people occupy job 1, 1 person dies = 10% mortality rate for that job.

1000 people occupy job 2, 50 people die = 5% mortality rate.

more people died in job 2 than job 1, but job 1 is more deadly because the possibility of dieing in that job per job opening is greater.

If job 1 were to expand and require more workers, the # of fatalities would be expected to rise with it.

*this concludes your textbook narrative for the day*

By: Wumpa

Wumpa — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:35:04 +0000

More Railroaders die than pilots.

The list is not acurate at all

By: Gauldar

Gauldar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:50:36 +0000

@dorkhero

Could it be that people in those areas you listed are better trained for risky situations? I’d think a fisherman who was trained in the Navy has a higher chance of living through a bad situation then one who hasn’t.

By: dorkhero

dorkhero — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:56:07 +0000

I’m more suprised by what I don’t see on that list:

Rescue/Emergency Medical
Fire Fighting (urban or forest)
Law Enforcement
Military

I’d consider anyone who puts themselves in the path of nature or man’s fury to be in a dangerous job.

By: Brim

Brim — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:26:24 +0000

In fact, the deadliest job in America is abattoir cleaner, but they are mostly illegal immigrants, so their deaths doesn’t show in statitics. Sometimes the cleaners got minced – literally. Not to mention other deadly trauma or poisonous chemicals. That’s something to think about when you have a Big Mac.

And no, I’m not a vegetarian, I’m just european.

By: Mr. Binky

Mr. Binky — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:10:52 +0000

Fishermen?

By: Skipweasel

Skipweasel — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:50:49 +0000

I’m surprised to see Pilots and Flight engineers up there at 3. I suppose it includes military as well as commercial. Probably those nasty helicopter things, too. They don’t fly – they just beat the air into submission.

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:42:27 +0000

Fisher: one who fishes. Have you never gone fishing? I’ve heard weasels are pretty good fishers.

By: Ron

Ron — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:37:29 +0000

What’s a Fisher? Isn’t that a type of weasel?