The Top 5 Most Dangerous Jobs in the UK

Accidents at work are an everyday occurrence for many businesses with almost 300,000 people in the UK reporting an accident claim every year. However there are certainly a number of jobs which come with a much higher risk than the average office job. Here are the top five most hazardous jobs in Britain.

1. At number one it's the unlikely Merchant Seafarers. This was probably not everyone's first guess however fisherman are known to be fifty times more likely to suffer an accident or fatality than in any other job within the UK. 103 in every 100,000 fisherman die as a result of an accident at work.

2. In at number two and slightly less surprising is Bomb and Mine Disposal Experts. Working day in, day out in active warzones is always going to lead to a major increase in potential work accidents, however the majority of them usually do it for an average of 32,000 a year.

3. In at number three are another major risk taker with the Oil and Gas Riggers. This job can involve overcoming hazardous working conditions on a daily basis and the catastrophes have often been an occurring theme on our news. The worst off shore disaster in regards to the number of lost lives remains to be the 1998 Piper Alpha Oil and Gas Disaster in the North Sea resulting in 168 deaths.

4. Britain's Construction Workers are in at number four. 30% of all workplace deaths over the past 7 years have occurred on a construction site according to Health and Safety Executives. The most common of work accident claims from construction workers include slips, trips and falls, electrocution and falling from heights.

5. And taking the fifth spot is our Commercial Lorry Drivers. The recent M5 disaster has reiterated the common dangers this job entails on a daily basis. An irregular sleeping pattern mixed with the responsibility of incredibly large vehicles across endless spans of motorway isn't the safest combination.

This small selection of Britain's most dangerous career choices obviously involves a range of hazardous tasks increasing the amount of injuries. However every work place presents the potential risk for accidents. It is the employees' responsibility to ensure their staff are safe and trained properly for whatever task in hand. When an accident does occur the results can be dramatic including loss of income, expensive medical bills, time off work and psychological damage.