Every day is Labor Day for technology professionals

Today, September 6, is Labor Day in the United States, a holiday observance whose beginnings harken back to days of bitter and sometimes even deadly disputes between employers and employees. Things have changed quite a bit in the 128 years since the first observance of Labor Day here in the U.S. Right?

Just in time for the holiday this year, PC World recently reported on the most dangerous jobs in technology. The article lists seven such occupations. Among them are fixing undersea cables, which the PC World article reminds us is dangerous because "in a worst-case scenario a cable operating with 10,000 volts could become energized. And looking straight into the lasers of a sliced cable can burn out your retinas in a matter of seconds."

Then there's the nearly 11,000 people who make a living installing and fixing communications towers. "In 2006, 18 of them died on the job," PC World says. "The head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 2008 called cell-phone-tower climbing the most dangerous work in America."

Lest we forget, as the U.S. ends its official combat operation in Iraq, about the brave individuals who build network infrastructure within war zones. In what might be the article's most sobering passage, we're informed: "It's unclear exactly how many people doing IT-related work have lost their lives among the 4734 Coalition military deaths in Iraq since 2003, and the 2061 dead in Operation Enduring Freedom since 2001 so far, as counted on the independent iCasualties Website.

"According to a count conducted in September 2009, at least three telecommunications engineers are among the 533 foreign private contractors who have died in Iraq since the beginning of the conflict there. Two telecom engineers are among the 146 private foreign contractors who have perished in Afghanistan."

As I enjoy a day of rest and relaxation with my family this Labor Day, I'm immensely grateful to those who put their safety on the line so that citizens of the world can be united - at least in terms of their ability to communicate.