The most recent statistics released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), reported that 23.5 million work days were lost in 2013/14 due to work-related ill health. In that same period, an additional 4.7 million days were lost due to workplace injuries. What’s most interesting though, is the list of jobs that the organisation reported as Britain’s most dangerous.

Think about the riskiest careers that could cause harm to employees and require time off. Did you imagine that roles such as bomb disposal expert, stuntman, or even chef (all those sharp knives and hot ovens) would top the list? Believe it or not, there are plenty of surprising additions, with one of the most risky occupations apparently being a librarian!

As an employer, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of occupational health and safety, and how best to protect not just your staff, but also your business. It’s also imperative to understand what to do if a workplace incident or accident occurs, and if an employee makes a personal injury claim. In order to be prepared for issues and to help prevent them, read on for the rundown on some of the UK’s most dangerous jobs.

1. Librarian

Who would have thought that being surrounded by books could be so risky? Although it is generally seen as a very safe career path, becoming a librarian does tend to involve lots of time spent on ladders or near heavy piles of books.

The occupation made the list of Britain’s most dangerous jobs, with the HSE report mentioning 46 major but non-fatal injuries last year across venues such as libraries, museums, and archives. On top of that, one fatality was also reported for this career type in the year studied.

2. Teacher

Another occupation that you might not expect to see on the list is teaching. Although, perhaps those in the profession who work with children day in and day out might not find it so remarkable!

According to the HSE report, this sector is actually the most injury-prone. In the last year more than 1,700 teachers reported major injuries caused by slipping or falling, while a further 190 educators were struck by an object.

3. Mechanic

Often seen as one of the dirtiest jobs going around, working on or with cars also happens to be one of the most dangerous. Those in the industry have to be wary of things like malfunctioning equipment, and cars and other heavy objects falling down. Other potential injuries, like sprains and muscle issues, could stem from working lying down or in awkward, cramped positions for many hours per day.

According to the HSE report, those working as car salespeople are also at risk of injury in their jobs. The study reported that there were eight deaths and around 300 major injuries in the “car handling” industry in the last recorded year.

4. Miner

It should come as no big surprise that mining regularly tops the list of the most dangerous jobs in the United Kingdom (or around the world, for that matter). Although there are actually only three deep-pit mines still operating in Britain, employees working in them faces many hazards each day. While there have been many safety improvements in the industry over recent years, being underground is always going to remain risky business. Miners, rig workers and tunnellers face a variety of hazards on the job, including fires, cave-ins, explosions, and flooding, as well as issues with heavy machinery and volatile substances. There is also the potential risk of developing lung disease in later life due to prolonged exposure to dust down in the mines.

According to HSE research, there were two fatalities in the mining sector in the last recorded year, and around 150 major injuries. Due to the fact that the industry has a very small workforce, with only three pits still open, the number of casualties is much lower than it could be. Indeed, being a miner is statistically a very deadly profession, with 9.6 workers killed, on average, per 100,000 personnel.

Still, working in the UK is relatively safe

While it’s obvious that things can go very wrong in the workplace from time to time, there are some positives still to be seen. There is a general trend towards less fatal injuries per year, indicating that health and safety regulations are making a difference.

In addition, the average “standardised incident rate” is less than one person in 100,000 dying at work. This puts the UK high up the list when it comes to safety in the workplace. In fact, in the 26 countries on HSE’s evaluated list, the UK ranks second, only beaten by Slovakia when it comes to safety on the job.