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Is it safe on deck? Fatal and non‐fatal workplace injuries among Alaskan commercial fishermen *
Author(s) -
Thomas Timothy K.,
Lincoln Jennifer M.,
Husberg Bradley J.,
Conway George A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.10010
Subject(s) - medicine , deck , fishing , occupational safety and health , injury prevention , poison control , case fatality rate , forensic engineering , commercial fishing , suicide prevention , medical emergency , environmental health , engineering , fishery , population , structural engineering , pathology , biology
Background Commercial fishing in Alaska accounts for an occupational fatality rate that is 28 times the rate for all U.S. workers. Most deaths are attributed to vessel sinking or capsizing. However, many deaths and most non‐fatal injuries are not related to vessel loss. This paper describes injuries that occur on the dock or on the fishing vessel. Methods Data from fishing fatalities and non‐fatal injuries between 1991–1998 were analyzed using the Alaska Occupational Injury Surveillance System and the Alaska Trauma Registry. Results There were 60 workplace deaths unrelated to vessel loss; most from falls overboard, others from trauma caused by equipment on deck. There were 574 hospitalized injuries, often from falls on deck, entanglement in machinery, or being struck by an object. Summary Fishing boats are hazardous working environments. Further efforts are required to prevent falls overboard and on deck, and to redesign or install safety features on fishing machinery and equipment. Am. J. Ind. Med. 40:693–702, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc