Category: Fishing

NIOSH Ag Centers Celebrate 10 Years on YouTube

One hundred years ago, farmers, loggers, and fishermen turned to their families and communities for advice on safety, health, production, and repairs. They may have even consulted the Farmer’s Almanac or asked a cooperative extension agent. Although family, friends, print media, and extension agents are still great sources of information, the farmers, loggers, and fishermen Read More >

Posted on by Amanda Wickman, Ellen Duysen, Whitney Pennington, and KC Elliott1 Comment

Working Hours and Fatigue: Meeting the Needs of American Workers and Employers

In November 2022, the American Journal of Industrial Medicine (AJIM) published a special issue focusing on work-related fatigue. The issue explores factors that may increase work-related fatigue and actions to reduce work-related injuries and illnesses. [1] This issue is a result of discussions and collaborations from the 2019 NIOSH Working Hours, Sleep and Fatigue Forum Read More >

Posted on by Grace Vixama, MPH; Imelda Wong, PhD; and Naomi Swanson, PhD1 Comment

30 Years of the NIOSH Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Program

  As NIOSH celebrates half a century of work in occupational safety and health, the Institute’s Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) Program reflects on 30 years of research and outreach designed to protect the people who produce our nation’s food and fiber. The AgFF Program began in response to a rise of farmer safety concerns Read More >

Posted on by Marcy Harrington, MPA; Amanda Wickman, MBA; Donjanea Williams, EdD; and Jennifer M. Lincoln, PhD6 Comments

Lifejackets for Lobstermen

  Falls overboard are the most frequent cause of death on the job for lobstermen in the U.S. The on-the-job death rate for fishermen nationwide is 31 times higher than any other industry. It is well-documented that wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) can help prevent these tragedies, but unfortunately most fishermen do not routinely Read More >

Posted on by Julie Sorensen, Rebecca Weil, Jessica Echard, Amanda Roome, and Erin Lally3 Comments

Drug Overdose in the Workplace and the Role of Opioids

The drug overdose epidemic continues to afflict our country. Nationally, there were more than 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017 [i] involving opioids (such as fentanyl, heroin and hydrocodone), stimulants (such as cocaine and methamphetamine), and alcohol.[ii] Nearly 70% of these deaths involved an opioid.[ii] Recent data show that drug overdoses at work are increasing. Read More >

Posted on by Dawn Castillo, MPH; Michael Fiore, MS; Emily Sparer-Fine, ScD; Hope M. Tiesman, PhD; Steve Wurzelbacher, PhD5 Comments

NIOSH in Alaska: Improving Worker Safety

This blog is pulled from a story originally posted in the CDC’s “Inside Story: Public Health in Action” on 2/8/18 Before he became an epidemiologist, Devin Lucas grew up in a fishing family. His grandfather moved to Anchorage in 1953 and purchased a commercial fishing vessel. Then his dad grew up in the business. So Read More >

Posted on by Kathy Chastney3 Comments

Workers Memorial Day 2018: Statement from Dr. John Howard

Every year on April 28th, we observe Workers Memorial Day, remembering those workers who have been killed or injured on the job. This is also an opportunity to reflect on how we, as a federal research institute, and our partners in industry, labor, academia and the safety and health practice community, can contribute to making Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD2 CommentsTags

Fatal Falls Overboard in Commercial Fishing

April 28th is Workers’ Memorial Day where we remember those who have lost their lives while trying to make a living. The current issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) includes workplace fatality, injury and illness data; a QuickStats which demonstrates differences among employment categories in influenza vaccination; and Read More >

Posted on by Samantha Case, MPH5 Comments

Young Mechanical Engineer Learns the Ropes on Fishing Boats

This week is National Engineers Week which is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) employs over 200 engineers and engineering technicians who identify, evaluate, develop, and implement engineering control technology to Read More >

Posted on by Theodore D. Teske, MA6 Comments

Making Alaska a Safer Place to Work

  During 1980-1989, Alaska had the highest work-related fatality rate of any state in the nation, with a rate of 34.8 deaths per 100,000 workers per year compared to the average U.S. rate of 7 deaths per 100,000 workers per year. At the invitation of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, M.D. 12 Comments

Building Better Buoyancy – Developing Innovative Life Vests for Commercial Fishermen

Think about wearing a life jacket to work. What comes to mind? Do you think cool, comfortable, and easy-to-work in? Or, are you more inclined to think of life jackets as cumbersome, uncomfortable, and interfering? If you are leaning toward the latter, you’re right on track with what NIOSH heard from commercial fishermen back in Read More >

Posted on by Christy Forrester, MS and Theodore D. Teske, MA11 Comments

Making a Splash: Three Fishermen Saved by Personal Flotation Devices!

On the night of June 26, 2010 the fishing vessel Paul Revere, a salmon setnet skiff, capsized while setting their gear in preparation for the start of fishing season. The skipper and her two crew members were thrown in the waters of Bristol Bay near South Naknek, AK. The crew spent two harrowing hours drifting Read More >

Posted on by Theodore D. Teske, MA7 Comments

Commercial Fishing Safety

Commercial fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the U.S., with an annual fatality rate that is almost 36 times higher than the fatality rate for the average U.S. worker. An emphasis on understanding the commercial fishing culture and the rugged work environment coupled with quality science has helped NIOSH create practical prevention recommendations that are now commonly used in the industry and are saving lives. Read More >

Posted on by Administrator8 CommentsTags