Demands of modern infrastructure continue to push people’s physical abilities to the limit. But what are the most challenging and dangerous jobs?

Despite rigorous safety procedures, some jobs remain inherently risky. Technicians still climb hundreds of metres up tall, narrow towers to inspect telecommunication masts or wind turbines; saturation divers at offshore oil and gas facilities remain below the surface for days; and tunnellers work tens of metres below ground with millions of tonnes of earth above them.

Gone are the old days when, as one veteran engineer put it, if you were a ‘single guy’ with no family, you were the one delegated to take the risks. Today, work has been transformed by technology and a sea change in safety mindset and culture over the last decade.

But some industries – offshore oil, mining, agriculture, diving and construction – still have higher-than-average death rates. Overall, construction accounted for most fatal injuries at work in Great Britain, according...