Most dangerous jobs in America

2008 fatality rate: 115.7 per 100,000 workers.

You need brawn, stamina and concentration to be a good logger. To last in the industry you also need intelligence and a bit of luck. Loggers have to be smart about where the tree they're cutting is going to fall and whether their co-workers are in harm's way.

Any occupation that works with objects as massive as trees is dangerous, and the tools of the trade -- heavy chain saws, strong power winches and lifts -- are also capable of doing great harm. A chain saw can hit an unexpected obstacle, kick back and do appalling damage.

Even careful workers can be ambushed by unforeseeable accidents. Loose tree limbs can accumulate unseen in the forest canopy and come crashing down when a tree is felled. These accidents are so common a cause of death they're known as widow makers among loggers.

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