Risky jobs and activities you cannot get life insurance for

What is an “occupational hazard” and how will it affect your life insurance?

There are some occupations, activities and hobbies that insurers put on the too-risky list. These are many and varied and should be checked in the exclusions section of the product disclosure statement if you are unsure of where you stand.

Risky or dangerous jobs likely to set off alarm bells would include:

Working at heights
Working with explosives/dangerous chemicals
Working underground
Working with firearms
Working in the armed forces
Working as, say, a journalist or news cameraman in a war zone

Lifestyle activities which are insurance no-nos include:

Participating in war, terrorism, riots, strikes, insurrection, coups, criminal activities
Suicide
Self-inflicted alcohol and non-prescription drugs habit
Being H.I.V. positive

Sports, hobbies and other pastimes which raise concern include:

Motor sport
Hunting, racing, polo
Hang gliding, bungee jumping
Mountaineering, rock climbing
Unqualified scuba diving without an instructor
Pro Sports

It’s important to remember that dangerous recreational sports and hobbies are a problem if they are participated in on a regular basis. It’s doubtful your insurer will worry about an isolated incident, like a hang gliding gift you received for your birthday. If in doubt, simply talk to your insurer.

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TJ Ryan

Former Finance Journalist

TJ was previously a finance journalist at Canstar, preparing a variety of articles from simple-to-understand explainers of financial products through to reporting on industry trends. She graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Fine Arts, Creative Writing.