Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
BOX 10-3
Continued
Hole, Massachusetts, in 2000; IFISH II was held in Sitka, Alaska, in 2003; and IFISH III was
held in Mahabalipuram, India, in 2006. Those conferences have generated proceedings that
are used around the world to help spur further conversations, research, and regulations on
commercial fishing safety.
The NIOSH Alaska Field Station was able to show progress in many elements of com-
mercial fishing through assorted cooperative efforts with USCG, NPFVOA, AMSEA, industry
stakeholders, and other partners. Since the inception of the Alaska Field Station, there has
been a 51 percent decline in the annual death rate in Alaskan commercial fishermen, active
interagency cooperation is occurring, and, perhaps most important, NIOSH has achieved
buy-in and respect from the commercial fishermen themselves.
The research methods and practices of the NIOSH Alaska Field Station are exemplary:
they are focused, priorities have been set, they are timely, and they include stakeholder
feedback. Through hands-on approaches to problem solving, determined efforts to gather
and improve death and injury surveillance data, and a willingness to take the extra effort to
assign high priority to face-to-face communication, the station has had incredible impacts
on fishing safety. The main weaknesses of the program are attributed to external factors.
The committee applauds the work done by this small group of researchers. The Alaska
Field Station has proved itself to be an effective program that has been relevant to the needs
of commercial fishermen and has demonstrated that the outputs and intermediate outcomes
of its effort have had a considerable impact in reducing injuries and deaths.
SOURCES: NIOSH, 1997a, 2002, 2006a; Chris Woodley and Michael Rosecrans, USCG,
personal communication, August 31, 2007; Jennifer Lincoln, NIOSH, personal communica-
tion, August 31, 2007.
veillance methods, involvement of key stakeholders, and motivated core staff to
ensure project continuity.
Examples of Cutting-Edge Research
Work on agricultural risks to respiratory health conducted by AFF Program
staff in collaboration with other researchers has included cutting-edge research
that has moved the field forward. Successes include significant contributions to the
development of laboratory methods in studying respiratory risks, development of
field methods for collecting dust samples, and etiological knowledge of hazards.
 
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