Review of Research on High-Priority Populations at Risk - Agriculture Forestry and Fishing Research at NIOSH - page 75

were divided into working groups and developed recommendations on prevention
of vessel-related fatalities, man-overboard fatalities, diving fatalities, and nonfatal
work-related injuries. Three interventions were implemented on the basis of the
recommendations; the success of the recommendations cannot be determined
from the information provided.
Line Entanglement in the Lobster Fishery
Lobster fishermen experience a fatality rate 2.5 times the national average for
all industries (NIOSH, 2005b). Recommendations were developed with regard to
work practices and engineering controls to reduce the risk of entrapment injuries,
an industry-related publication was produced and distributed, and two peer-re-
viewed articles and one NIOSH document were issued. No data were provided on
the long-term effect of the project on reduction of injuries among lobstermen.
Deck Safety Products
The Deck Safety Project started in 2000 with a clear plan that included the
development of a program for crab fishermen. Focus groups and tours of vessels
to identify safety problems were conducted, and the resulting information was
published in a handbook in 2002. The second focus of the project was the Southeast
Alaska fishermen. The emergency-stop system (e-stop) was developed for use in
the event that a fisherman is entangled around a winch and was tested in 2005 and
2006. Work on the distribution and impact of the e-stop continues, but it seems
that it is being installed in many vessels. No data on how many e-stops have been
installed were provided, so the impact is yet to be determined.
IFISH I, II, and III
Three International Fishing Industry Safety and Health (IFISH) conferences
have been held in conjunction with academic, industry, and international part-
ners. The AFF Program has been a sponsor and major collaborator for these three
conferences.
Full-time Equivalent Estimates
Given the nature of the industry, counting fishermen to obtain injury or ill-
ness rates is problematic. The AFF Program has developed a procedure to estimate
the number of “full-time equivalent fishermen” for Alaska fisheries to compare
fatalities and injuries to other Alaskan workers. No data are provided on how good
the estimation is or has been, and no comparative study is shown or referenced