What to learn from the world’s toughest

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We write a lot about workplaces, but we rarely write anything about tough and dangerous workplaces. Imagine working 69 storeys in the air? Or braving -35c degree temperatures? Or trying to tame some of the world’s most dangerous animals? Or working on an oil-rig in harsh winter weather? Want to find out more? Take a read of our Top 5 Toughest Workplaces.

1) Working in Antarctica

Most of us find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning to travel to work, but imagine if your workplace was Antarctica? Rachael Robertson, an Australian speaker turned Antarctic explorer, spent the best part of a year exploring Antarctica with 18 strangers. As she describes in a blog post, temperatures in the region got as low as -35c, with months spent in darkness. “It sounds extreme, but the reality is that every workplace has an Antarctic winter,” said Rachael. “Every business has a period of time where the work slows down.”

As Rachael explained, due to the nature of the work, it was paramount to ensure she utilized her best team-building skills, to keep the team literally moving forward. She spoke about the advantage of having direct conversations with her team, and using what she calls the “No Triangles” tool- meaning colleagues would bring issues up with individuals directly, and not express sentiment elsewhere. The result meant that conflict was significantly reduced. Although the climate was tough, Rachael used a combination of leadership skills to significantly reduce any problems that could derail her expedition, and in doing so, managed to keep the project on track.

For other workplaces, keeping on track, quite literally, can mean a matter of life and death.

2) Long Haul Drivers

For other workplaces, keeping on track, quite literally, can mean a matter of life and death. The trucking profession is possibly one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in the world. We’ve all seen the History Channel program Ice Road Truckers, where drivers brave horrendous weather and come up against impossible odds in order to get a wage. Truck driver deaths account for 12% of all workplace accidents in the U.S. according to the numbers.  All that driving can’t be good for the human body, in fact, it can cause a serious strain on the health and well-being of the worker. According to the New York Times, 86% of U.S. truck drivers are overweight or obese, a striking figure.

But hope is not lost, as the article points out, some drivers are making changes; with one truck driver, Roy Williams, choosing healthy eating options, such as protein shakes, during his long hauls. Trucking is also suffering a skills shortage with many employers finding it hard to fill the positions that require so much time away from family and friends . That in itself raises some rather worrying questions regarding the future of this industry.

3) Oil Rig Workers

Working on an oil rig is a hard job, possibly one of the hardest according to The Wall Street Journal, where being an oil rig worker ranked as the 5th worst job in America. According to the article, there was a range of reasons why oil workers were giving such a high ranking, like the work’s physical demands, harsh work environment and work stress issues.

Physically demanding, geographically remote, mentally challenging, skillful and highly dangerous, oil rigging is the toughest of the toughest in our opinion.

4) Working with Killer Whales

Being a trainer at any theme park or zoo is a tough job. Not only do you have to look after your own safety, but the safety of hundreds of guests too. In addition you are required to entertain, or stand on the head of an Orca if you work at Seaworld. All of that came to a terrible end when a Seaworld Senior Animal Trainer, Dawn Brancheau, was killed in 2010.

Dawn’s death, which was examined in great detail in the CNN documentary Blackfish, showed the dangers animal trainers like Dawn put themselves in everyday. It’s a dangerous and tough job, and one that takes a serious amount of courage to pull off with a smile. These workers use a combination of teamwork and communication to make sure they are watching out for each other at all times. They also have a huge respect for the animals that they work with and understand every day the danger that complacency can bring when dealing with Killer Whales.

5) Cleaning Windows… 69 Storeys in the Air

It’s not everyday that you go to work and are left dangling 69 storeys in the air, but that’s exactly what happened to two window cleaners at the newly opened One World Trade Center, According to the New York Times working as a skyscraper window cleaner is a tough job, you’re left out in the open exposed to the every sort of danger. Don’t even mention bad weather. Imagine, stranded hundreds of feet in the air, being pelted by rain, snow and all the other elements? Not only that, but in some situations, you may have to put up with spiders, or watching seagulls eat ducks, as was the case for skyscraper window cleaners in Toronto. It’s no secret, these workers seriously depend on high-quality safety gear, maybe other industries should take harnessing as seriously as these guys do?

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