Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
had little labor organization; however, with the advent of offsite management firms
that specialize in providing workers during times of high need, such as for fire sup-
pression or mandated vegetative removal, the population exposed to forestry risk
has changed to include numerous newly immigrant workers of Hispanic, Asian,
and eastern European origin.
The workforce, particularly that involved in felling and logging, has experi-
enced some of the highest injury rates in the AFF sector. In 1955, the fatality rate
was 214 per 100,000 workers, and the nonfatal injury rate was 16 events per 100
full-time workers (NIOSH, 2006a). By the late 1980s, deaths attributed to injury
had dropped to 161 per 100,000 workers (NIOSH, 2006a); but nonfatal injuries
had increased to almost 20 events per 100 full-time workers (BLS, 1990). By 1996,
the fatality rates had dropped even further, to 128 per 100,000 workers (NIOSH,
2006a). More recent reliable injury-related data are unavailable, and numerous
types of worker categories have not been included in published analyses because
of reliance on “official” numerator (event) and denominator (population-at-risk)
data. The prevalence of occupational diseases is unknown.
Fishing Sector
The fishing portion of AFF comprise several fisheries, which are identified by
region: the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, the Gulf Coast, the West,
and the Alaskan shelf. Fishing is conducted in both the open ocean and adjoining
states' internal waters by vessels that vary in size and fitting, totaling approximately
82,000 operating units in 2006 (U.S. Coast Guard, 2007). Operations can range
from technologically sophisticated with expensive gear and advanced electronics
to those with simple gear and modest electronics. Most fishing vessels along the
Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Gulf Coast are small owner-operated, whereas many
vessels in the West and Alaska are in larger multi-vessel enterprises. At-risk workers
can range from one, two, or three per boat to upwards of 150 (U.S. Coast Guard,
2007). The U.S. Coast Guard regulates most aspects of the industry; its Commer-
cial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Advisory Committee is charged with developing
workable recommendations for the health and safety of vessel employees.
The workforce is composed of both native-born and immigrant populations,
including workers from several African nations. Of the estimated 55,000-160,000
workers exposed to occupational risk while engaged in maritime fishing activity
(BLS, 2007b; NIOSH, 2007b), more than half are self-employed. The workforce
experienced the nation's highest occupational fatality rate due to occupational
exposures in 2006: 141.7 per 100,000, nearly 30 times higher than the rate in the
overall workforce (BLS, 2007a). Its overall nonfatal injury rate is unknown, but
the Alaska fishery had 410 injury hospitalizations per 100,000 full-time fishermen
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