Sanitation workers are 3 times more likely to be killed on the job than police officers

[edhopper]

it's a physically demanding job and I would say of equal importance for our society to function.

It just gets no notice in the media.

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/pf/jobs/2014/09/11/most-dangerous-jobs/5.html

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[66 dmhlt]

1. A citation or two for your claim would be very helpful

[MH1]

5. Yes, this, but I'm sure I've heard this statistic before so

I don't actually doubt it.

Good form would include a cite, though.

[MH1]

2. I hear ya, but I think if 5 were gunned down at one event by a sniper,

there would probably be some notice in the media.

I bet there are a lot of professions that could say the same as the OP.

"Sanitation workers" is an especially salient choice, because this is considered a very low status job. If the US had a caste system like India, this would be a job for "untouchables". So these workers are not considered "important" enough to notice when one gets killed on the job. Whereas police officer is a high status job (even if relatively low pay and high risk in most places). So of course everyone wants to pay respects when a police officer is killed.

All that said, out of curiosity, what is the main cause of sanitation workers getting killed on the job? Inattentive motorists would be my guess. Then there's always the old favorite of picking up a trash bag with a contaminated needle, getting stuck and contracting HIV ... but while terrible and I bet it happens, it's probably not one of the most prevalent causes.

[greatlaurel]

3. That is a shocking and sad statisitc. Police make for good advertising revenue.

Do you have a link to the statistic? I would appreciate it very much.

It seems most people care little for the people who make modern life possible. Without sanitation workers people would have to haul their own trash to the landfills or more likely burn it in their backyards. This is very common for the rural poor and not so poor in rural Ohio. While it is regulated, there is no effective enforcement.

Backyard burning of trash is still so common in the US that it is now the number one source of dioxin in the environment. The traditional dioxin emitters such as paper mills and waste incinerators are now very tightly regulated thanks to the rules from USEPA.

[Travis_0004]

4. I'm guessing few were targeting because they were sanitation workers.

[puffy socks]

6. Yep

The constant hero worship of cops irritates me.
They crave it
They believe they are "warriors" who deal with the scum of society and are the only people to see the most wretched things.

How many times do we see the convenience store clerk being the one who fights the criminal? Almost always.
How many nurses, EMT see the same sorts
of horrible scenes and yet arent constantly
trying to put themselves up as heroes?
In fact most of these modest people will tell
tell you "they were just doing their jobs" or "I just happen to be in the right place at the right time" instead of trying to bask in the hero glory.


And every time any cop dies we are told
how they put their lives on the line for us every day.. Which simply is a huge exaggeration.

They add police who died from illnesses, traffic accidents (unwork related) etc onto their list of lost brothers in blue to garner more tears and sympathy by making it appear more die on the actual line of duty than actually do.
Lying for hero worship.


They come to wrap yellow tape around a scene and investigate.

We dont see awards ceremonies or articles electrical linesmen, or rescue teams.
Why are the police put on such high a pedastal?
I belive it just adds to their superiority complexes.

[socialist_n_TN]

15. Yep. "They come to wrap yellow tape around a scene and investigate"..........

When seconds matter, cops are minutes (or more) away. Don't expect cops to save you in an emergency situation.

[puffy socks]

16. Heck no. People mostly save and protect themselves.

The police spend most of their time handing out traffic and various other citations. If a crime occurs their job collecting evidence and investigating after the crime has occurred. They are rarely around as the crime is occurring and sometimes take hours to show up.
The public needs a reality check on the reality of police work. They don't have IQ tests that bar more intelligent people because they might get bored if they were really putting their lives on the line for us every day.

It may not be the easiest job but the perpetual bloviating over the risk they take and the regal pedestal they not only put themselves on but also expect to be put on every time the police brutality issue comes up, is puke worthy.

[Duckhunter935]

7. Here is a link to the list

http://time.com/4326676/dangerous-jobs-america/

[HereSince1628]

8. I think taxi drivers have very high rates of being shot on the job as well.

[edhopper]

9. more than police

[LongtimeAZDem]

10. What percentage of their fatal injuries are homicides? (nt)

[surrealAmerican]

11. You would have to ask that same question for both groups.

I know I read somewhere that most on the job fatalities for police officers were due to traffic accidents. I suspect that's true of sanitation workers too.

[LongtimeAZDem]

13. This report puts Law Enforcement fatalities at 44% homicide, 35% roadway accident

unfortunately, it does not list sanitation workers:

NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2014

[edhopper]

12. found this

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[socialist_n_TN]

14. And I would bet that of those "firearm" deaths.......

a solid proportion of them are suicides and not shot by criminals.