Americans are living significantly longer than ever before. Baby Boomers (those age 55 and older) are more likely to be employed now, for many reasons.
In the 25-year period of 1992 and 2017, the number of older Americans in the work-force more than doubled to 35 million. This increase is due to a rising population of older Americans, and “to a higher labor-force participation rate for that age group.” (EHSDailyAdvisor.com) Also, many older Americans have little to no retirement savings, and therefore continue to work to live. The ones who do have savings “work longer because the defined-contribution plans that now predominate reward delayed retirement in ways that most traditional pensions do not.” (LATimes.com)
During that 25-year period, there was an increase of 56% in fatal work injuries incurred by Baby Boomers, versus a decrease of 17% among workers overall. Per the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program, “Older worker fatalities reached an all-time high in 2017,” at 1,930.(BLS.com)
Here are the ten occupations that are most dangerous for Baby Boomers, with the highest number of fatalities for that age group, for the years 2003 to 2017:
- (tied) Carpenters
Job duties: “Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood.”
Number of fatal injuries: 328
- (tied) Taxi drivers and chauffeurs
Job duties: “Drive automobiles, vans, or limousines to transport passengers.”
Number of fatal injuries: 328
- Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers
Job duties: “Manually move freight, stock, or other materials or perform other general labor.”
Number of fatal injuries: 350
- Light truck or delivery services drivers
Job duties: “Drive a truck or van primarily to deliver or pick up merchandise or to deliver packages.”
Number of fatal injuries: 384
- Commercial pilots
Job duties: “Fly and navigate planes and aircrafts that require a Commercial Pilot certificate.”
Number of fatal injuries: 424
- Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
Job duties: “Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment.”
Number of fatal injuries: 428
- Construction Laborers
Job duties: “May operate different tools and prepare construction sites, such as by digging trenches or cleaning up debris.”
Number of fatal injuries: 606
- First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
Job duties: “Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department.”
Number of fatal injuries: 616
- First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Job duties: “Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.”
Number of fatal injuries: 631
- Agricultural managers (farmers)
Job duties: ”Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms and other agricultural establishments.”
Number of fatal injuries: 3,217
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Job duties: “Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck and may need to unload the truck.”
Number of fatal injuries: 3,772
The Law Offices of David L. Hood – Representing Injured Workers in South Carolina
The Law Offices of David L. Hood have been fighting for the rights of injured workers in Charleston, N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Georgetown, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Greenville, Hilton Head, Rock Hill and all across South Carolina for over 25 years. We have a dedicated team that will strive to take care of your claim professionally and treat you with respect. Over the years we’ve represented hundreds of injured workers and their families, working hard to get them the medical treatment and compensation they deserve.
To learn more about what we can do for you, contact our offices to set up a free initial consultation. If you choose to work with us, we will handle your case on a contingent fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we make a recovery for you. To get in touch with us, you can call our offices at (843) 491-6025 or email us here.
