According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (with additional data from WirelessEstimator.com), the Discovery Channel has it all wrong: The deadliest job in the U.S. isn’t fishing; it’s tower climbing.
As reported in the July 7, 2008 edition of RCR news, the top three deadliest jobs are:
#1 Tower erectors/climbers: 183.6 deaths per 100,000 (18 deaths)
#2 Fishers and fishing workers: 141.7 deaths per 100,000 (51deaths)
#3 Aircraft pilots: 87.8 deaths per 100,000 (101 deaths)
Jonathan, I am a tower painter. I have painted towers all over our great nation. I have worked for many different tower painting and tower maintenence companys. In my 5 years of being considered a tower painter and not a “rookie”, I have yet to see or have any fatalities on the job. However I have been on jobs that were shut down because of injuries or deaths on other crews. There is a video on YouTube called fearless tower painters. It includes a few men that I have had the privalege of working and living with. Those men have seen and herd of many people that die on the job. As tower painters, we rarely get any recognition for what we do. So its not just cell tower climbers who put themselfs in danger every day to support there families. Our job is very difficult. I wish we could get more recognition. Can you help?