Dentists are the most at risk of infection at work, study says

Our health is a vital part of our lives, and many of us are prepared to swap up diets, lifestyles, and hobbies to protect it. But do we think about how our job has an effect? Every career comes with its own hazards that we need to keep in mind, from spending hours each day looking at a screen, to working in dangerous environments.

To find which careers are the best for protecting our health, Lenstore has analysed 48 popular jobs to reveal which encounter the most health threats, including exposure to infection, risk of injury, and joint problems, as well as five others.

We can’t necessarily protect against all health threats we face in the workplace, but by being aware of them, we may be able to take measures to reduce problems. Looking at eight individual health hazards, these are the jobs that are the best and worst for your health:

Paramedics take the top spot as the most dangerous job overall, with the role being particularly prone to the risk of infection, as well as having a high risk of sensory damage. Accountants, on the other hand, rank as the lowest risk job overall due to the lack of exposure to hazards, sun damage, and risk of injury.

Meanwhile, web developers might be avoiding hazardous environments and keeping the chances of an injury low but sitting down at a desk all day means they’re not able to get much of a chance to improve their fitness.

Working in the healthcare industry naturally increases employees’ risk of infection, with dentists and paramedics ranking as the roles most at risk of this threat within the healthcare profession.

The most common health threat is physical proximity, which occurs more frequently among all jobs than any other risk. Physical proximity can increase your chances of possible infection and is 6.7 times more common across the board than exposure to whole-body vibration, the least common threat, which can cause damage to bones and joints.

With a score of 95 out of 100 for exposure to disease and infections, as well as a 99 out of 100 score for physical proximity, dentists are the most at risk of getting infections at work.

The 10 jobs most at risk of infection:

1. Dentist
2. Critical care nurse
3. GP
4. Paramedic
5. Anaesthesiologist
6. Surgeon
7. Veterinarian
8. Flight attendant
9. Physical therapist
10. Firefighter

The 10 jobs least at risk of infection:

1. Accountant
2. IT manager
3. Web developer
4. Welder
5. Lawyer
6. Marketing manager
7. Physicist
8. Architect
9. Power plant operator
10. Zoologist and wild biologist

Roshni Patel, professional services manager at Lenstore said, “Although some jobs are inherently at higher risk than others, it’s important to address the risks that we can reduce or resolve entirely – issues of posture or fitness can often be as simple as making sure our desk is set up to support a straighter and supported back and taking regular breaks to walk around for a couple of minutes.

“Having the right work set up is also vital for protecting your vision and with many of us working in front of devices for eight hours each day – your eyesight is at greater risk of harm. It’s therefore important to take regular breaks every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to minimise eye strain.

“It’s particularly important while many are working from home to make sure that the same considerations you would have in the office in terms of safe equipment and the right working space are in place.”

For more information on the best and worst jobs for your health, review the full study at www.lenstore.co.uk/research/best-and-worst-jobs-for-health/