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Mortgage broking can be hazardous. Keeping up with constantly changing compliance regulations, for instance, has the very real potential to make one’s head explode.
However, aside from the odd paper cut or hangover following last week’s aggregator conference, the physical risks are relatively slim – at least when compared to the top ten most dangerous jobs in Australia.
Life insurance website, lifeinsurancefinder.com.au, has just released its updated list of the riskiest career paths. Unsurprisingly, broking isn’t in the top ten, but in case you’re considering a change in workplace scenery, it’s probably best to avoid the following options:
Top 10 most dangerous jobs in Australia
1. Commercial fishers: Working out at sea is widely known as the most dangerous job in the world, and 17 times more dangerous than mining.
2. Truckers: 200 fatal crashes involving truck drivers were reported in 2011, making up 15% of all road fatalities that year. According to the federal government, truckers are 10 times more likely to die on the job than any other occupation.
3. Farmers: In 2008, being a farmer would've landed you in the top three most dangerous jobs in the world.
4. Miners: 50 to 60 Australians die each year in the mining industry from toxic gases and explosions.
5. Construction workers: 13 construction workers have died so far this year. Leighton Holdings averages 40 to 50 dying each year on Australian construction sites.
6. Tree Loppers: Between 2010 and 2012, five tree loppers were reported dead in Sydney alone. They face the threat of overhead electric wires, unsteady branches and working with chainsaws.
7. Defence Force: About one police officer is murdered every year in Australia. They deal with the risk of infectious disease, abuse, injury, assault and death on a daily basis.
8. Firefighters: Unruly bush fire seasons, coupled with day-to-day accidents, put firefighters in high demand. Most firefighters die from heart attacks (44%), followed by trauma related deaths (27%), crashes (20-25%) and burns and asphyxiation (20%).
9. Pilots: Even experienced commercial pilots are no match for adverse weather conditions and possible mechanical failures, among other hazards, making the job high risk.
10. Garbage Collectors: Exposure to toxins and chemicals on a daily basis can lead garbage collectors to experience long-term damage. There is also the threat of accidents on the road.
