Instant Alert: The 27 jobs that are most damaging to your health

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   The 27 jobs that are most damaging to your health by Andy Kiersz on Nov 2, 2015, 1:15 PM Advertisement Some jobs intrinsically have more health risks than others. A nurse working in a hospital is more likely to catch an infectious disease than a lawyer working in an office, for example. To rank the most unhealthy jobs in America, we used data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), a US Department of Labor database full of detailed information on occupations. In order to analyze jobs by their impact on workers' health, we took O*NET measures of six health risks in each of the 974 occupations in the database: exposure to contaminants; exposure to disease and infection; exposure to hazardous conditions; exposure to radiation; risk of minor burns, cuts, bites, and stings; and time spent sitting, since studies show that frequent inactivity shortens your lifespan. O*NET scores these factors on a scale from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating an increased health risk.  Read on to find out which jobs have the most potential to damage your health. Max Nisen contributed to an earlier version of this post. SEE ALSO: The 25 highest-paying jobs for people who don't want to sit at a desk all day SEE ALSO: Here's the most disproportionately high-paying job in every state 24 (tie). Radiologists Overall unhealthiness score: 52.8 What they do: Examine and diagnose disorders and diseases using x-rays and radioactive materials. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to radiation: 87 2. Exposure to disease and infections: 85 3. Time spent sitting: 74 24 (tie). Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders Overall unhealthiness score: 52.8 What they do: Operate or tend furnaces to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to contaminants: 100 2. Risk of minor burns, cuts, bites, and stings: 96 3. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 94 24 (tie). Embalmers Overall unhealthiness score: 52.8 What they do: Prepare bodies for burial in conformity with legal requirements. Top three health risks: 1. Exposure to disease and infections: 83 2. Exposure to contaminants: 83 3. Exposure to hazardous conditions: 75 See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011