Do you know which jobs are the most dangerous jobs?
Is your job to die for?
Some head out to their calm and safe work environments. Others risk their lives for their jobs every day. Whether it be for the love of money or the love of the game, some South Africans exude bravery. They do the jobs that the rest of us refuse to do. We’ve listed the top 5 most dangerous jobs in South Africa (in no specific order).
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Postman
Yes, believe it or not, this is one of South Africa’s most dangerous jobs. The Post Office’s slogan, “We deliver, whatever it takes”, is not taken lightly among postmen.
Between April 2016 and March 2017, 22 South African postmen were bitten by dogs while delivering mail in the Western Cape alone. (Source: IOL ). Statistically speaking, there’s a greater chance of you getting injured working as a postman than working as a construction worker. But getting bitten by dogs is not the only threat postmen face; they are also at risk of bicycle and motorbike accidents and third party inflicted injuries.
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Mine worker
According to The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), South Africa’s mining industry is the most dangerous to work in. Our country has some of the deepest mines in the world and is thriving in mineral resources; however, people are risking their lives in those mines.
The Department of Mineral Resources recorded 73 mine worker deaths and 2662 injuries in South African mines in 2016.
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Police officer
If you’re a South African Police Service (SAPS) employee, you may have one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. Police officers are in a position to deal with dangerous criminals, make on-the-spot crucial decisions and risk their lives to protect the lives of others.
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High-rise window cleaners
With skyscrapers reaching over 150m high in South Africa, it’s no wonder high-rise window cleaners make the list of South Africa’s most dangerous jobs. With the threat of unpredictable weather, while hanging from ropes up in the air, it’s definitely not a job for anybody.To maximise safety in this field of work, RopeCrew provides training for Rope Access Technicians (Level 1), Rope Access Practitioners (Level 2) or Rope Access Supervisors (Level 3) as well as training on Fall Protection Planners, Basic Fall Arrest Technicians, Fall Arrest Technicians and Fall Arrest Rescue Technicians.
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Paramedic or emergency medical technicians
Paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are often exposed to dangerous, emergency situations, such as shootouts, man-made or natural disasters, illnesses and road accidents. Many paramedics find fulfillment in their jobs, so they do not mind risking their lives if it means helping others.
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Security guard
The occupation “Security guard” umbrellas many types of guard jobs in South Africa, including residential security, public parking security and even cash-in-transit security guard jobs. Security guards are often graded from A to E.
- Grade A includes site managers, who control and manage the security workforce in an area
- Grade B includes guarding a higher risk area and supervising lower grade security officers
- Grade C guards take care of access control
- Grade D & E guards have the primary function of access control
Some security jobs pose no safety threat at all, while others are extremely dangerous and employees have to undergo training and get accredited for their jobs.
