Even though some jobs require more comprehensive policies than others, even white-collar jobs can pose a considerable threat. According to a report by Safe Work Australia, there were over 13,000 Australians who sustained serious injuries working in retail in 2010-11, while almost 10,000 workers claimed for serious injuries in education, communications, finance.

"You could walk out of your door and get hit by a bus or struck by lightning. The chances may be slim but the question you need to ask yourself is, do you want to risk something happening with no cover?" said Mrs Hutchison.

 
"Life insurance is something to consider, especially if you have a family. If you don't have a mortgage, it's worth considering income protection insurance, which covers you for accidents, injury or illness and generally pays out up to 75 percent of your income.

"Australians should do their research and use comparison sites like lifeinsurancefinder.com.au to find a good value policy to suit their needs because the cover details and costs can vary significantly."

lifeinsurancefinder.com.au's 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. The Federal Government note that Truckers are 10 times more likely to die on the job than 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 even 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.

Methodology: how we compiled the list
lifeinsurancefinder.com.au compiled the list of 10 most dangerous jobs in Australia with careful analysis of Australian occupations, findings from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Safe Work Australia on work-related injuries and workers' compensation claims statistics. Other sources included a report of the world's most dangerous jobs sourced from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics of fatality statistics per 100,000 workers, listverse.com and Yahoo Finance. The list is not ranked, however, a commercial fisher is widely known to be the most dangerous job in the world and hence placed at number one.

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For further information:
Michelle Hutchison
Head of PR & Spokesperson
finder.com.au
+61403 192 994
+61 2 9299 7602
Michelle@finder.com.au

About finder.com.au:
finder.com.au is one of Australia's biggest comparison websites and has helped over 4.8 million Australians find better credit cards, home loans, life insurance, shopping deals and more since 2006. finder.com.au compares 250 credit and debit cards from 31 providers, over 300 home loan products, and information from 13 life insurance providers as well as online shopping promo codes, mobile phone plans, travel insurance and more. One Australian every five minutes is using finder.com.au or one of its network sites creditcardfinder.com.au and lifeinsurancefinder.com.au to find better (Source: Google Analytics).

Disclaimer:
Hive Empire Pty Ltd (trading as finder.com.au, ABN: 18 118 785 121) provides factual information, general advice and services on financial products as a Corporate Authorised Representative (432664) of Advice Evolution Pty Ltd AFSL 342880. Please refer to our FSG and Credit Licence ACL 385509.  We are also a Corporate Authorised Representative of Countrywide Tolstrup Financial Services Group Pty Ltd. ABN 51 586 953 292 AFSL 244436 for the provision of online travel insurance. We are not owned by any Bank or Insurer and we are not a product issuer or a credit provider. Although we cover a wide range of products, providers and services we don't cover every product, provider or service available in the market. We also don't recommend specific products, services or providers. If you decide to apply for a product or service through our website you will be dealing directly with the provider of that product or service and not with us. We recommend consumers understand the Product Disclosure Statements before deciding if a product is right for them (c) 2013.