Introduction - Agriculture Forestry and Fishing Research at NIOSH - page 11

(NIOSH, 2007b). Fishermen go out to sea in poor weather, especially in heavy
New England seas and Aleutian Island storms, and a fall overboard often results in
drowning. Fishermen also work with dangerous power tools, such as huge winches
and hoists, and heavy nets and cages, all of which can turn into lethal missiles on
slippery wet or icy decks in heavy seas. The prevalence of occupational diseases is
unknown.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The U.S. Census Bureau's North American Industry Classification System
(NAICS) classifies economic units that have similar production processes in the
same industry (BLS, 2001b), and categorizes agriculture, forestry, and fishing in the
same industry classification because the three sectors are involved in the harvesting
of food, fiber, and fuel. NIOSH is obligated to address all three sectors under the
NAICS while the original congressional mandate only specifies funds for agricul-
ture (U.S. Congress, 1990a; BLS, 2001b). However, as early as March 1992, NIOSH
included loggers, fishermen, children, unpaid workers, and racial minorities when
developing goals to carry out the new NIOSH research program in agricultural
safety and health (NIOSH, 1992b). In 1991, 1992, and 1996, congressional ap-
propriations language continued to specify funds for agriculture, and NIOSH has
continued to carry out plans according to the original mandate. Perhaps future
appropriations language may specify funding allocation among the three sectors,
but as it stands agriculture will continue to dominate the program's portfolio
unless AFF Program leadership directs otherwise. Because the AFF Program only
addresses occupational issues related to harvesting of food, fiber, and fuel, it does
not address processing concerns related to food processing, lumber mills, or fish
processing.
Agriculture
Attention to injury and disease prevalence among farmers and ranchers took
a long time to take root in the last century. Though the farm injury toll was
recognized from the introduction of the steam traction engine in 1908 (Avery
Machine Corporation, 1912), it was not until 1938 that the farm injury problem
attracted national attention at the annual National Safety Congress sponsored by
the National Safety Council (Rasmussen, 1989). The mentality emerged that “The
careless farmer who gets injured in an accident this year not only hurts himself
and his family, but he curtails the nation's 'Food for Freedom program'” (Wickard,
1943). A few years later, the wartime labor shortage allowed the safety community
to create a national consensus focusing efforts on improving worker safety (Hall,