Fatal and non-fatal injuries in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors remain both elevated and poorly documented, compared to other work settings. The proposed surveillance project expands on the current Risk Information System for Commercial (RISC) Fishing, to encompass agriculture, forestry, and fishing in the four state (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington) PNASH region.
Project aims are to:
Logging is among the most dangerous professions in the United States. Manual felling of timber with chainsaws and setting of cable log chokers accounted for 47% of injuries in Idaho between 2011-2014. Building on a recent PNASH pilot project, a library of wearable- and location-based human activity recognition (HAR) models will be developed and coded into a smartwatch app prototype to enhance the safety and efficiency of forestry work in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington through increased situational awareness (SA) among workers on remote cable logging operations.
Offering information and tools to help agricultural safety managers and educators build and expand workplace safety training and programs. Each online course features practical resources, ready-to-use toolkits, and lessons learned developed by researchers and agricultural partners.
The salmon set gillnet fishery has the highest fatalities in Alaska and fatalities for Alaska Native workers are on the rise. Ten out of fifteen fatalities from commercial fishing vessel disasters in Alaska from 2010-2014 occurred in open skiffs, the type of vessel used in salmon set gillnetting.
Loggers and log truck drivers are at high risk for fatigue and stress, due to long working hours and high job demands. Few studies have characterized the determinants of fatigue, risks, and solutions for this vital workforce.
Project Overview
This pilot project was conducted in collaboration with two organizations actively invested in fostering a safe and healthy environment for workers in the potato industry, the Washington State Potato Commission, and the Idaho Potato Commission.
The forestry sector is among the top ten manufacturing employers in the US, and yet logging work is among the three most dangerous.
