A lot of people do the job in offices–from the executive sitting at a desk at a hedge fund on Wall Street to the young man relaxing amid the sea of cubicles at a call center in New Delhi and that job does come with its own health hazards. But there are also other jobs, ones you wouldn’t certainly think of as ‘dangerous,’ that have far graver outcomes.
These jobs are typically low-income. The people in these works are not paid enough for the risks they take. It doesn’t seem particularly dangerous on the surface level but it’s important to think just what health concerns are at stake.
1. E-waste Recyclers
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the world is becoming more reliant on electronic devices. This means that a big deal of the world’s trash is e-waste, as old machinery is soon discarded and quickly replaced by the modern tech advancement. As a result, recycling e-waste has become a work in the informal economy of many emerging countries, especially because electronic devices usually contain valuable metals like copper and gold. However, that it is very dangerous and virtually unregulated. With the lack of proper equipment or even knowledge about the dangerous materials they are working with, many e-waste recyclers come into close contact with dangerous or poisonous materials like lead, spend a long time inhaling toxic fumes, and cut their hands during the extraction method, allowing dangerous chemicals to enter their bloodstream. A study conducted in India in 2009 observed that e-waste recyclers are at extremely high chance of developing bronchitis and asthma. Children workers are especially at risk, and if they continue the work could become totally incapacitated by the time of 35.
2. Long-Haul Truck Driver
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Driving a long-haul truck has consistently been rated as one of the worst jobs in the US because of the comparatively low salary and long hours. Even though truckers’ hours are technically controlled, often these laws are neglected, and truckers are supposed to drive up to 14 hours a day, which is particularly bad when you consider that road accident are one of the world’s top ten causes of death and sleep deprivation doesn’t help with driving. The nature of trucking makes it very difficult to keep a healthy diet and exercise routine. On the road, food is usually highly caloric and nutrient deficient. Another, less obvious health danger of truck-driving is how it begins to the contraction and spread of HIV/ AIDS, especially in Asia and Africa, where drivers come into regular contact with commercial sex workers at truck stops and fail to use proper protection.
3. Loggers & Lumberjacks
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The logging industry clearly falls into this category. It’s a world of immense trees, heavy machinery, dense forests, and tremendous risk. Logging is one of the most dangerous works out there. Loggers work in very difficult conditions like heavy loads, bad weather, and steep slopes. The highest threat to loggers are falling tree parts and malfunctioning chainsaws, and despite the high risks, logging is a comparatively low-paying gig.
Garbage collectors – Garbage collecting looks different in every country but it’s dangerous everywhere due to exposure to dangerous materials and the high incident of traffic mishaps. Beyond garbage truck pickups, many nations also employ street sweepers as part of their hygiene team. Many women work as street sweepers along the highway without using any special or reflective gear even though cars regularly zoom by. There isn’t even any signage to alert drivers to slow down or watch out for the workers. In 2009, Kiva, the non-profit that gives micro-credit to people looking to begin sustainable businesses in the developing world, noticed that these street sweepers earn just 3$ a day, and work long hours. And yet it’s still a sought-after job due to Rwanda’s high unemployment rate.
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fishing is a friendly way to spend some time outdoors to be in beautiful view, to have some father-son bonding time, to feel the comforting tug of your first big catch on the line. Well, that may be true sometimes, but it absolutely isn’t the case with ALL fishing. In fact, industrial fishing is considered the riskiest profession in the US; commercial fishing requires operating heavy machinery on a tiny ship out on the high seas, a very risky combination, especially when you consider that it can involve near-freezing colds. Ships capsizing or sinking are cause for the most fatalities, while onboard wounds and falling overboard account for some others. But every region has its own safety concerns that need to be discussed. And many seas are essentially lawless.
There are many more jobs with high risks–mining, farming and construction work, it is difficult to make every work environment hazard-free. But in the above industries, there is space for actual improvement, regulation and safety reform. Of course, enough health care coverage for all of the world’s people would also work to combat the natural risks of any job and is critical to keeping the world’s workforce as happy and well as possible.