When we think about our careers, we focus on the good stuff. We reflect on the money, the benefits and the status. And so we should! But there’s a darker side to our work: the effect it has on our health.

Some of these effects are self-imposed, of course. Nobody forces us to grab a sugary snack from the vending machine every afternoon. But some jobs are just plain dangerous. Here are the worst offenders.

Chemical Plant And Systems Operators

Recently the US Occupational Information Network ranked jobs according to how dangerous they are. Coming in high on that list were chemical plant and systems engineers. It doesn’t take a genius to work out why their jobs are dangerous. They’re at constant risk of fluid injection injury, as well as burns and hazardous chemicals. But the greatest risk isn’t the chemicals. It’s the dangerous working conditions. Chemical plant operators are at constant risk of becoming trapped in machinery or falling.

Airline Pilots

Not many of us would have thought that being an airline pilot was one of the most dangerous jobs out there. After all, so few aircraft come crashing out of the sky. But pilots are, indeed, at a high degree of risk. The biggest risk factor they face, according to the OIN, is sitting. We’ve heard a lot about the problems of sitting in the press recently. Sitting has been associated with all sorts of cardiovascular issues, like thrombosis. And some outlets have coined the term “sitting is the new smoking.”

But a lesser known risk they face is exposure to radiation. “Radiation from what?” you might ask. The sun, actually. Because planes fly high in the atmosphere, aircraft are exposed to more radiation from space. And this radiation can pass through the plane’s hull and damage the DNA in their cells. Once cells have been damaged, pilots are at a higher risk of diseases like cancer.

Anesthesiologists And Nurse Attendants

When you think of a dangerous working environment, you think of oil rigs and chemical plants. But one of the most dangerous places for a human is actually an operating theatre. Why? Well, the biggest risk is infection. Healthcare workers are at high risk of picking up nasty diseases from their patients. But healthcare workers are also at risk from contaminants too.

Dentists

The OIN placed dentistry as the most dangerous profession in the developed world. The biggest risk here seems to be from the mercury in fillings. But dentists are also exposed to a host of other highly dangerous chemicals.

Teeth also harbour plenty of infection. In fact, dentists are exposed to high levels of bacteria whenever they extract a tooth or remove a filling. These bacteria can quickly find their way into the dentist’s own body and start wreaking havoc. Some oral bacteria have recently been associated with heart disease and even cancer. And so the risk from these bacteria is not benign. Certain types of bacteria that live in the mouth can damage the walls of arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease.