I worked for a medical lab for 13 years as a medical courier (driver) and a phlebotomist (professional bloodsucker).

As much as I loved my job and the company I worked for (for the most part), I was weary of going to work every day.

There were a lot of dangers that I faced.

 

phlebotomist, courier
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On the phlebotomy side, there are all sorts of safety measures that are in place, and they do a great job; the PPE (personal protective equipment) was provided, but accidents still happen, and you never fully know about the patient you’re about to work with.

On the courier side, you have all the dangers that every other driver faces: weather, road conditions, and other drivers.

But then you’d have the other issues that you can’t plan on, driving through the rough neighborhoods, going into the hospitals, and coming face to face with the unsavory person.

I did count my blessings, though, the incidents were few and far between.

Dangers I Faced During My 13 Years At A Medical Lab

When thinking about the time spent working for the company, out of 13 years, I only had 5 real issues being a courier.

On the road, including one accident (T-Boned by a drunk driver in Kennewick, Washington), one spin-out (between Yakima and Ellensburg), and two flat tires (One around North Bend and the other in Grandview).


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The last one was while I was doing my courier duties, but I wasn’t on the road. I got caught in a hospital lockdown due to gang activity (that was around 2015) in Sunnyside.

Thankfully, on the phlebotomy side, I had plenty of help, and there were no incidents (that stand out in my mind) besides the occasional temper tantrum from a scared child.

But looking at this report from Hansford Law, I’m not surprised that I worked in the most dangerous job professions.

Washington’s Top 5 Most Dangerous Job Professions

Washington Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at Hansford Law did a deep dive into fatal injury rates in each job sector in Washington. They were able to rank based on the number of fatal injuries compared to the total hours worked using stats from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Gallery Credit: tsm/Timmy!

What do you think is the most dangerous profession? Tap the App and let us know.

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