Did you know that some occupations can increase your life insurance premiums? Having a job that puts you in more hazardous situations regularly is deemed riskier to some life insurance providers.
With this in mind, I’m Insured analysed recent HSE (Health and Safety Executive) data to create the 2021 Dangerous Occupations Report.
The report reveals the UK’s most dangerous jobs, most common workplace deaths, where in the country the most workplace deaths occur, the risky jobs that increase life insurance premiums and more.
The UK’s deadliest jobs - construction is revealed as the most fatal
I’m Insured broke down the fatal data by industry, revealing that construction jobs are in fact, the deadliest. With over 1 in 6 deaths attributed to this occupation between 2015 and 2020, this is higher than all other industries. Almost 1 in 5 of the total deaths at work were caused by falling from a height, something construction workers are at risk of most days.
It is clear that working with animals and heavy equipment can be highly dangerous too. Farming is the second most dangerous job in the UK, accounting for 1 in 6 deaths. In fact, nearly 3% of the total deaths were caused by interactions with cattle, and 8% by machinery.
The UK regions with the most workplace deaths - Scotland is the deadliest area for workers
The data reveals Scotland is the riskiest part of the UK for workers, with over 1 in 6 deaths occurring in this region.
According to the National Farmers Union, Scotland: “Some 80% of Scotland’s land mass is under agricultural production, making the industry the single biggest determinant of the landscape we see around us.” With farming jobs accounting for 1 in 6 workplace deaths, it’s no surprise that Scotland ranks so highly in the dangerous workplace stakes.
West Midlands accounts for 7% of workplace deaths, closely followed by East of England. In contrast, the safest place to work is North East, with just 3% of workplace deaths occurring in this region between 2015 and 2020.
Workers in Glasgow are more likely to die at work than any other place in the UK
Glasgow is revealed as the most dangerous UK local authority to work in, with over 3 in every 100 UK workplace deaths occurring in the city.
Birmingham comes a close second, with over 1 in 50 workplace deaths tragically happening in the midlands city.
Men are over five times more likely to die in the workplace than women
Over the past 6 years, men account for 83% of workplace deaths, compared to just 15% of women. This is more than likely due to the industries affected by fatalities, with women underrepresented in both construction and agricultural job roles.
Top 10 most likely causes of death at work - falling from a height is the most fatal accident
Machines at height such as scaffolding, cranes and cherry pickers are all essential in the construction world, but they’re also the largest cause of fatalities in the workplace. Falling from a height accounts for almost 1 in 5 work deaths between 2015 and 2020.
Being tragically struck by a moving vehicle or object, and being trapped under something collapsing in the workplace are also some of the largest causes of death.
Top 10 most common accidents at work - lifting and carrying cause the most non-fatal injuries
When analysing the biggest causes of non-fatal accidents at work, injuries from handling, lifting and carrying objects are the most common. These were followed by slips, trips or falls on the same level, rather than from height.
10 jobs that make life insurance more expensive
When you complete a life insurance application, alongside information about your family history and general health, providers also request to know what your occupation is. If you work in a job that’s considered more dangerous, this is deemed riskier by the life insurance provider and can increase your premiums.
I’m Insured conducted research to identify which jobs increase premiums, compared to a standard rate life insurance policy.
Here I’m Insured reveal the 10 risky jobs that make life insurance more expensive:
Please note, these figures are approximate because rates can change with underwriting philosophies and events. To get your own personalised life insurance cost, you can use our free quote tool.
Many view firefighters, police officers and door security as dangerous roles, however, surprisingly, these occupations don’t increase life insurance premiums.
We’re here to help...
If you’re concerned about your job increasing your life insurance premiums, or you just want to talk through your options, our experienced team can help you find the best policy for your individual circumstances.
You can call our experts on 0800 334 5980 or get in touch here.
Methodology
All statistics used within this data are sourced from HSE and RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) 2015-2020 (https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm and https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/fatalities/in-year-names.htm)
Data on fatal work-place accidents is from RIDFATAL and in year names, whilst data regarding non fatal work-place accidents is from RIDKIND.
Using these datasets, we have analysed the data to give the results listed in this release.
