Alaska's commercial fishermen work in one of the world's harshest environments and experience conditions that have a strong impact on their safety. One-third (346) of all work-related deaths that took place in Alaska during 1990-2008 occurred to fishermen. This results in an annual fatality rate that is 26 times greater than the rate for all U.S. workers (129 and 4 per 100,000 workers per year, respectively). While the work-related fatality rate for commercial fishermen in Alaska is still very high, it has decreased by 42 percent since the early 1990. Safety improvements in Alaska occurred as a result of a combination of activities including safety regulations, and fishery-specific interventions focusing on unique hazards of each fishery. Safety regulations in commercial fishing largely began with the passing of the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act (CFIVSA) in 1988. This gave authority to the United States Coast Guard to develop basic lifesaving regulations for commercial fishing vessels, including requirements to carry emergency equipment such as life rafts and immersion suits. NIOSH evaluated the impact of CFIVSA on fatalities in Alaska and found that the safety requirements contributed to 94% of the commercial fishermen surviving vessel sinkings/capsizings from 1997-1999, in comparison to a 77% survival rate in 1991-1993. The survival rate from 1991-1999 steadily improved following the implementation of CFIVSA . For more details on these findings please refer to the published reports, "Preventing commercial fishing deaths in Alaska" and "Improving Safety in the Alaskan Commercial Fishing Industry." Available at Commercial fishing at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/fishing/ . NIOSH has also evaluated the effectiveness of emergency equipment and survival training required by US Coast Guard regulations.3 The results show that victims who died were 7 times more likely not to have worn an immersion suit and 15 times more likely not to have used a life raft. This study supports immersion suits and life rafts in saving lives and the need for training and enforcement of the use of this type of equipment. The Alaska Pacific Regional Office (APRO) was established in 1991, to address the high rate of occupational injuries and fatalities in Alaska (five times higher than the national average.) Since 1991, APRO has conducted studies of fishing injuries and fatalities in Alaska. The results have shown that across all fisheries, the greatest dangers to fishermen are vessels sinking, falls overboard, and machinery on deck. From 1990 - 2009, APRO helped reduce the commercial fishing death rate by 42% by developing practical safety interventions through partnerships with several organizations. In 2007, APRO created the Commercial Fishing Incident Database (CFID.) CFID is the only comprehensive commercial fishing fatality database in the nation. Using this new tool, researchers at APRO have been able to identify high-risk fisheries nationwide, and have begun creating targeted interventions across the U.S. Through focused research programs and a collaborative effort by many agencies, NGOs, industries, and workers centered on commercial fishing, logging, and aviation, APRO helped bring about a 63% reduction in worker deaths by 2009. For more about the NIOSH Alaska office and research, go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/contact/im-alaska.html. This is clipped from a 1995 NIOSH 25th Anniversary video.
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Alaska Fishing - cod 08by jessicaborenin3,899 views
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