Every year, thousands of workers in the United States sustain injuries while at their place of employment. These injuries can take many forms depending on the occupation. Common workplace accidents include slip and fall accidents, construction injuries, and elevated fall accidents.

Recently, the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to show the number of fatalities that occurred in 2011 due to workplace accidents throughout the country. The preliminary fatalities that were recorded in 2011 reached 4,609. When compared with the 4,690 preliminary fatalities that occurred in 2010, the amount in 2011 shows a slight decrease in deadly workplace accidents.

Based on the data that was gathered relating to these fatalities, the BLS compiled a list of the most hazardous professions in America. Fishermen and fisherwomen can be found at the top of that list due to the high number of fatalities that take place in the occupation on a yearly basis. The rate at which these professionals lose their lives at their place of employment was determined to be 121.2 out of 100,000 full-time employees. This is an extremely alarming rate when compared to the overall rate in the U.S., which is 3.5 out of 100,000 full-time employees.

Other professions that were ranked on the list included loggers and pilots who navigate airplanes. These two professions placed high on the list due to their involvement with potentially defective machinery that can to severe accidents. The preliminary data also revealed that slip and fall accidents accounted for 666 deaths in 2011, and workplace violence claimed 780 workers’ lives last year.