Relationship of personal, situational, and environmental factors to injury experience in commercial fishing.

INTRODUCTION: Commercial fishing work involves a variety of activities and is hazardous. While much is understood to mitigate fatalities in this industry, research must further explore nonfatal injury characteristics, factors related to injury, and potential injury prevention strategies. This paper determines if fishing experience is associated with injury risk and explores common work activities associated with injury. METHOD: Key informant interviews and a survey of fishermen were conducted to refine work activity codes and collect injury experiences. Independent sample t-tests compared the means of the years fishing by injury incident for all crab fishermen then stratified by position. Descriptive statistics explored the nature of injury in relation to work activity. RESULTS: The level of experience was significantly lower for injured fishermen compared to fishermen who reported no injuries, but when stratified by position at the time of the injury, the association of injury to experience was only significant for owners. This stratified result demonstrates that the work activity, rather than experience, drives the apparent relationship of experience to injury. Being tired (24%) and weather (26%) were indicated as contributing factors at the time of injury. CONCLUSION: Modifying the work environment to better control hazards would benefit all fishermen, regardless of their experience, age, or position. Further work into effective interventions that fishermen would adopt is needed to reduce injury risk. Any formal or informal training of new fishermen should focus on the most hazardous activities, but more experienced fishermen would also benefit. Additionally, effective training or interventions for fatigue management, and decision support tools for weather- and navigation-related decisions would further reduce risk of at sea injuries. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Injury prevention training, for all fishermen, regardless of their position and years of experience, should cover the most hazardous tasks, fatigue risk management strategies, and weather decisions.

Traumatic injuries among Alaska's young workers: Linking cases from four data systems.

BACKGROUND: Young workers (aged 15-24 years) experience higher rates of job-related injury compared with workers aged 25-44 years in the United States. Young workers may have limited or no prior work experience or safety training, which can contribute to their injury risk. In 2018, Alaska had the second highest work-related fatality rate and 14th highest non-fatal injury rate in the United States. This study aimed to characterize nonfatal and fatal occupational injuries among young workers in Alaska. METHODS: To describe injury patterns among Alaska young workers from 2014-2018, we used data from four datasets: Alaska Workers' Compensation, Alaska Occupational Injury Surveillance System, Alaska Trauma Registry, and Alaska Fishermen's Fund. The datasets were merged two at a time and filtered by the worker characteristics (e.g., age and sex) and incident characteristics (e.g., date of injury). Duplicates were then manually identified between the datasets using the variables above. The injury narrative and Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System codes were used last to verify true duplicates. Descriptive analyses were performed after the duplicates were merged. RESULTS: During the 5-year study period 2014-2018, young workers experienced 20 fatal and 12,886 nonfatal injuries. Residents of Alaska comprised 85% of nonfatal and 70% of fatal injuries. The top three major occupation groups with the highest number of injuries were production (1,391, 14%), food preparation (1,225, 12%), and transportation/material moving (1,166, 11%). The most common events leading to injuries were struck by object or equipment (2,027, 21%), overexertion involving outside sources (1,385, 14%), and struck against object or equipment (905, 9%). The most common nature of injuries were sprains/strains/tears (3,024, 29%), cuts/lacerations (1,955, 19%), and bruises/contusions (1,592, 15%). CONCLUSION: Although progress has been made in reducing worker injuries, Alaskan young workers still experience injuries and fatalities frequently. Based on findings, there is a clear need for employers, researchers, public health professionals, parents, and young workers to prioritize young worker safety through an integrated approach, from education and training to adequate workplace supervision and support.

Workplace Injuries Caused by Commercial Fishing Winches-Alaska, 2000-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Deck machinery is a leading source of hospitalized injury for commercial fishing workers in Alaska. More detailed data are needed about the specific circumstances leading to injuries for developing targeted prevention efforts. METHODS: This study analyzed claims submitted to the Alaska Fisherman's Fund (AFF) to identify patterns among injuries in Alaska from commercial fishing winches. RESULTS: During January 1, 2000-November 1, 2020, 125 traumatic injuries from commercial fishing winches were identified, mainly occurring among males (94%), frequently among fishermen aged 30 years or younger (54%). Over 80% of winch injuries occurred in salmon fisheries. By gear type, 40% of injuries occurred on vessels using purse seine gear, 30% on vessels using drift gillnet gear, and 12% among set gillnet operators. Most injuries involved a fisherman having a body part caught in or compressed by a winch or cables attached to a winch (67%). Injuries mainly affected upper extremities including fingers (50% of cases) or hands/wrists (together 22% of cases). Injury severity was not formally assessed, but injuries ranged from contusions, sprains, and strains to finger or hand crushing injuries, upper limb amputation, skull fracture, spinal fracture, and chest trauma. Most cases involved fractures (23%), amputations (18%), lacerations (16%), and contusions (16%). Of all injuries, 51% were caused by anchor winches, 32% were caused by deck winches, 9% were caused by trailer winches, and 9% were caused by other types of winches. CONCLUSIONS: Practical solutions are needed for avoiding entanglement and struck-by hazards when operating fishing winches. Anchor winches warrant focused attention, having accounted for more than half of all winch injuries identified in this study. Engineering solutions, including emergency stop devices or other simple mechanical interventions depending on winch type, could help to avert potentially disabling injuries from winches. Administrative controls such as task-specific training for winches should be emphasized, especially for younger or less experienced commercial fishing crew, who may be at increased risk for injury.

Health Equity and a Paradigm Shift in Occupational Safety and Health.

Despite significant improvements in occupational safety and health (OSH) over the past 50 years, there remain persistent inequities in the burden of injuries and illnesses. In this commentary, the authors assert that addressing these inequities, along with challenges associated with the fundamental reorganization of work, will require a more holistic approach that accounts for the social contexts within which occupational injuries and illnesses occur. A biopsychosocial approach explores the dynamic, multidirectional interactions between biological phenomena, psychological factors, and social contexts, and can be a tool for both deeper understanding of the social determinants of health and advancing health equity. This commentary suggests that reducing inequities will require OSH to adopt the biopsychosocial paradigm. Practices in at least three key areas will need to adopt this shift. Research that explicitly examines occupational health inequities should do more to elucidate the effects of social arrangements and the interaction of work with other social determinants on work-related risks, exposures, and outcomes. OSH studies regardless of focus should incorporate inclusive methods for recruitment, data collection, and analysis to reflect societal diversity and account for differing experiences of social conditions. OSH researchers should work across disciplines to integrate work into the broader health equity research agenda.

Linking Datasets to Characterize Injury and Illness in Alaska's Fishing Industry.

Limited research has characterized nonfatal injury/illness in Alaska's hazardous fishing industry. This study aimed to determine (a) the utility of linking datasets to conduct surveillance, and (b) injury/illness patterns during 2012-2016. Data were obtained from the Alaska Trauma Registry (ATR), Fishermen's Fund (FF), and US Coast Guard (USCG). Datasets were coded to identify patterns in injury/illness characteristics and circumstances. Probabilistic linkage methods were utilized to identify unique incidents that appeared in more than one dataset. After linking datasets, 3,014 unique injury/illness cases were identified. By dataset, 2,365 cases appeared only in FF, 486 only in USCG, 110 only in ATR, 25 in ATR and FF, 15 in ATR and USCG, 10 in USCG and FF, and 3 in all datasets. FF mainly captured claims submitted by small, independently-owned vessels in Southcentral and Southeastern Alaska. In contrast, USCG mainly captured reports from large, company-owned vessels in Western Alaska. By nature, cases were most frequently sprains, strain, and tears (27%), cuts (15%), and fractures (11%). Across fleets, injuries/illnesses most frequently resulted from contact with objects and equipment (41%), overexertion and bodily reaction (27%), and slips, trips, and falls (20%). Work processes associated with traumatic injuries were most frequently hauling gear (18%) and walking, climbing, and descending (18%). Half of all injuries were of moderate severity (53%). Linking datasets, which capture different segments of Alaska's fishing industry, provides the most comprehensive understanding of nonfatal injury/illness to date. These results, stratified by fleet and severity, will inform prevention strategies.

Envisioning the future of work to safeguard the safety, health, and well-being of the workforce: A perspective from the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The future of work embodies changes to the workplace, work, and workforce, which require additional occupational safety and health (OSH) stakeholder attention. Examples include workplace developments in organizational design, technological job displacement, and work arrangements; work advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and technologies; and workforce changes in demographics, economic security, and skills. This paper presents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Future of Work Initiative; suggests an integrated approach to address worker safety, health, and well-being; introduces priority topics and subtopics that confer a framework for upcoming future of work research directions and resultant practical applications; and discusses preliminary next steps. All future of work issues impact one another. Future of work transformations are contingent upon each of the standalone factors discussed in this paper and their combined effects. Occupational safety and health stakeholders are becoming more aware of the significance and necessity of these factors for the workplace, work, and workforce to flourish, merely survive, or disappear altogether as the future evolves. The future of work offers numerous opportunities, while also presenting critical but not clearly understood difficulties, exposures, and hazards. It is the responsibility of OSH researchers and other partners to understand the implications of future of work scenarios to translate effective interventions into practice for employers safeguarding the safety, health, and well-being of their workers.

Persistent and emerging hazards contributing to work-related fatalities in Alaska.

BACKGROUND: Workers in Alaska have an elevated risk of dying on the job compared to workers in the rest of the United States. The purpose of this study was to measure and describe the trend in fatalities during the 15-year period 2004 to 2018, and to identify lingering and emerging hazards that result in fatalities. METHODS: Data on fatal work-related injuries in Alaska during 2004 to 2018 were obtained from the Alaska Occupational Injury Surveillance System. Descriptive statistics were calculated to identify fatality characteristics. Fatality rates were expressed as the number of deaths per 100 000 workers, and Poisson regression was used to measure the trend during the study period. RESULTS: During 2004 to 2018, there were 517 work-related fatalities in Alaska. The average annual risk of fatalities during the 15-year period was 9.6 per 100 000 workers, with no significant trend. The leading events or exposures resulting in fatal injuries to workers in Alaska during 2004 to 2018 were water vehicle incidents (145, 28.0%), aircraft incidents (105, 20.3%), and suicides (46, 8.9%). The number of suicides and homicides at work increased substantially during the 15-year period. CONCLUSIONS: While deaths due to water vehicle incidents have substantially decreased, they still represent a major component of Alaska's work-related fatality profile. Aviation safety continues to be an area of concern in Alaska. Unintentional drug overdoses at work, as well as workplace violence in the form of suicides and homicides, represent emerging issues that need the attention of Alaskan occupational safety stakeholders. These findings can inform and direct fatality prevention research and practice.

Using Workers' Compensation Claims Data to Describe Nonfatal Injuries among Workers in Alaska.

BACKGROUND: To gain a better understanding of nonfatal injuries in Alaska, underutilized data sources such as workers' compensation claims must be analyzed. The purpose of the current study was to utilize workers' compensation claims data to estimate the risk of nonfatal, work-related injuries among occupations in Alaska, characterize injury patterns, and prioritize future research. METHODS: A dataset with information on all submitted claims during 2014-2015 was provided for analysis. Claims were manually reviewed and coded. For inclusion in this study, claims had to represent incidents that resulted in a nonfatal acute traumatic injury, occurred in Alaska during 2014-2015, and were approved for compensation. RESULTS: Construction workers had the highest number of injuries (2,220), but a rate lower than the overall rate (34 per 1,000 construction workers, compared to 40 per 1,000 workers overall). Fire fighters had the highest rate of injuries on the job, with 162 injuries per 1,000 workers, followed by law enforcement officers with 121 injuries per 1,000 workers. The most common types of injuries across all occupations were sprains/strains/tears, contusions, and lacerations. CONCLUSION: The successful use of Alaska workers' compensation data demonstrates that the information provided in the claims dataset is meaningful for epidemiologic research. The predominance of sprains, strains, and tears among all occupations in Alaska indicates that ergonomic interventions to prevent overexertion are needed. These findings will be used to promote and guide future injury prevention research and interventions.

Exposures and Health Effects of Bioaerosols in Seafood Processing Workers - a Position Statement.

Occupational hazards exist in the processing of seafood both in land-based facilities as well as on board vessels. Recent findings on occupational injury and respiratory health risks among seafood processing workers were presented and discussed at the IFISH5 conference. Particular emphasis was put on the challenges that im/migrant workers encounter, the greater risks onboard factory vessels, especially where processing machinery are retrofitted to older vessels not primarily designed for this purpose, and the difficulties in assessing and preventing bioaerosol exposures and associated respiratory health risks despite recent advances in characterising agents responsible for allergic and non-allergic reactions. Based on appraisal of existing knowledge in the published literature and new findings presented at the conference, recommendations for immediate actions as well as for future research have been proposed. Among these include the importance of improving extraction ventilation systems, optimising machinery performance, enclosure of bioaerosol sources, improved work organization, and making special efforts to identify and support the needs of im/migrant workers to ensure they also benefit from such improvements. There is a need for studies that incorporate longitudinal study designs, have improved exposure and diagnostic methods, and that address seafood processing in countries with high seafood processing activities such as Asia and those that involve im/migrant workers worldwide. The medical and scientific community has an important role to play in prevention but cannot do this in isolation and should cooperate closely with hygienists, engineers, and national and international agencies to obtain better health outcomes for workers in the seafood industry.

Non-Fatal Injuries and Injury Treatment in the West Coast Dungeness Crab Fishery.

Objectives: Non-fatal injuries in the high risk US Dungeness crab fishery have been under-documented, despite their potential for lost work time and income, long-term disability, and early unwanted retirement. The Fishermen Led Injury Prevention Program (FLIPP) characterized injuries in this fishery, in order to identify work hazards and inform injury control measures.Methods: The FLIPP injury survey was completed by 426 fishermen in 23 Washington, Oregon, and California fishing ports prior to the 2015-2016 Dungeness crab season; 413 (97%) provided injury information for this analysis. Participants indicated whether they had been injured in the previous 12 months, described the injury, any treatments received, and whether the injury limited their ability to work.Results: Participants were mostly male (98%), more than half (56.6%) worked as deckhands, and reported considerable fishing experience (median = 14 years, interquartile range 5-27). Eighty-nine fishermen (21.5%) reported an injury incident in the past year, of which 49 (55.1%) were limiting. The 89 incidents yielded 102 injuries, of which nearly two-thirds were sprains/strains (23, 22.5%), surface wounds/bruises (17, 15.0%), cuts (18, 17.6%), or punctures (11, 10.8%). More severe injuries, including eight fractures, were rare. The majority of injuries received either no treatment (27, 26.5%) or first aid (35, 34.3%); clinical care was less common (22, 21.6%), and emergency care rare (3, 2.9%).Conclusion: One in five Dungeness crab fishermen reported an injury incident in the previous year. Most injuries were not severe and did not result in clinical care, but approximately half were work-limiting. Control measures must account for the remote and resource-limited workplace in commercial fishing.

Dungeness crab fishermen perceptions of injury causation and factors in staying safe.

BACKGROUND: Commercial fishing is a hazardous occupation in the United States (US). Injury surveillance data relies heavily on US Coast Guard reports, which capture injuries severe enough to require reporting. The reports do not incorporate the fishermen's perspective on contributing factors to injuries and staying safe while fishing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a pre-season survey of Dungeness crab fishermen during 2015 to 2016. Community researchers administered surveys to fishermen. Respondents reported their opinions about factors contributing to injuries and staying safe, which were grouped into similar themes by consen- sus. Descriptive statistics were calculated to explore the number of injuries, crew position, age, and years of experience. Chi-square tests compared perceptions of injury causation, staying safe, and other factors. RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-six surveys were completed. Injury causation perceptions were sorted into 17 categories, and staying safe perceptions were sorted into 13 categories. The most frequently cited causes of injury were heavy workload (86, 21.9%), poor mental focus (78, 19.9%), and inexperience (56, 14.3%). The most frequently cited factors in staying safe while fishing were awareness (142, 36.1%), good and well-maintained fishing gear/vessel (41, 10.4%), and best marine practices (39, 9.9%). Opinions were not significantly associated with experiencing an injury in the past while fishing, but some opinions were significantly associated with crew position, age, and years of experience. CONCLUSIONS: The perceptions of fishermen can be evaluated further and incorporated into training or intervention development. The fishermen-led approach of this project lends itself to developing injury pre- vention strategies that are effective, realistic and suitable. The resources available at FLIPPresources.org, such as informational sheets for new fishermen, sample crew agreements, and first aid kit resources, supply workers in this fishery with real solutions for issues they identified through their survey responses.

Injury and illness among onshore workers in Alaska's seafood processing industry: Analysis of workers' compensation claims, 2014-2015.

BACKGROUND: Alaska's onshore seafood processing industry is economically vital and hazardous. METHODS: Accepted Alaska workers' compensation claims data from 2014 to 2015 were manually reviewed and coded with the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System and associated work activity. Workforce data were utilized to calculate rates. RESULTS: 2,889 claims of nonfatal injuries/illnesses were accepted for compensation. The average annual claim rate was 63 per 1000 workers. This was significantly higher than Alaska's all-industry rate of 44 claims per 1000 workers (RR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.37-1.48). The most frequently occurring injuries/illnesses, were by nature, sprains/strains/tears (n = 993, 36%); by body part, upper limbs (1212, 43%); and by event, contact with objects/equipment (1020, 37%) and overexertion/bodily reaction (933, 34%). Incidents associated with seafood processing/canning/freezing (n = 818) frequently involved: repetitive motion; overexertion while handling pans, fish, and buckets; and contact with fish, pans, and machinery. CONCLUSIONS: Ergonomic and safety solutions should be implemented to prevent musculoskeletal injuries/illnesses in seafood processing.

Dungeness crab commercial fishermen's perceptions of injuries inform survey development.

INTRODUCTION: The West Coast Dungeness crab fishery is high-risk for occupational fatalities. The Fishermen Led Injury Prevention Program (FLIPP) explored this worker population's nonfatal injuries and safety perspectives. METHODS: Focus groups were held along the West Coast to (a) review reported injuries, (b) discuss risk factors, and (c) identify content to inform future FLIPP research activities, including survey development. Focus group data were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively. The FLIPP survey was pilot tested with groups of fishermen before broad distribution. RESULTS: Nineteen fishermen participated in focus groups and 21 pilot tested the FLIPP survey. These discussions illuminated injury risk perceptions, crews' current safety provisions, and what survey items would be relevant for fishermen. CONCLUSION: To engage fishermen in the process of identifying and developing injury prevention efforts, focus groups, and pilot testing were effective methods for incorporating their ideas into a survey.

Occupational traumatic injuries among offshore seafood processors in Alaska, 2010-2015.

INTRODUCTION: The U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration have identified the Alaskan offshore seafood processing industry as high-risk. This study used Coast Guard injury reports to describe patterns of traumatic injury among offshore seafood processors, as well as identify modifiable hazards. METHODS: From the reports, we manually reviewed and abstracted information on the incident circumstances, injury characteristics and circumstances, and vessel. Traumatic injury cases were coded using the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and a Work Process Classification System. Descriptive statistics characterized worker demographics, injuries, and fleets. RESULTS: One fatal and 304 nonfatal injuries among processors were reported to the Coast Guard during 2010-2015 across multiple fleets of catcher-processor and mothership vessels. The most frequently occurring injuries were: by nature of injury, sprains/strains/tears (75, 25%), contusions (50, 16%), and fractures (45, 15%); by body part affected, upper extremities (121, 40%), and trunk (75, 25%); by event/exposure resulting in injury, contact with objects and equipment (150, 49%), and overexertion and bodily reaction (76, 25%); and by source of injury, processing equipment and machinery (85, 28%). The work processes most frequently associated with injuries were: processing seafood on the production line (68, 22%); stacking blocks/bags of frozen product (50, 17%); and repairing/maintaining/cleaning factory equipment (28, 9%). CONCLUSIONS: Preventing musculoskeletal injuries, particularly to workers' upper extremities and trunks, is paramount. Some injuries, such as serious back injuries, intracranial injuries, and finger crushing or amputations, had the potential to lead to disability. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Safety professionals and researchers can use the study findings to inform future intervention efforts in this industry. Hazard control measures should target: (a) overexertion from lifting and lowering objects and equipment; (b) equipment and boxes falling and striking workers; (c) workers being caught in running machinery during regular operations; and (d) slips, trips, and falls.

Analysis of workers' compensation disabling claims in Oregon's seafood preparation and packaging industry, 2007-2013.

BACKGROUND: Few occupational health and safety studies have focused on the US seafood preparation and packaging industry, and none on Oregon's seafood industry. METHODS: Oregon workers' compensation (WC) disabling claims data were analyzed. Oregon Employment Department and US Census Bureau data were used as denominators for rates. RESULTS: During 2007-2013, there were 188 accepted disabling claims, with an average annual rate of 24 claims per 1000 workers. Men experienced a significantly higher rate (27.6 per 1000) than women. The most frequent incident characteristics and circumstances were: by nature-traumatic injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints (42%); by body part-upper extremities (44%); and by event-overexertion and bodily reaction (48%), and contact with objects and equipment (31%). CONCLUSION: Analyzing WC disabling claims data provides important preliminary information for understanding workplace hazards to develop control strategies. Reducing traumatic and cumulative injury risk among seafood workers is paramount.

Utility of a Work Process Classification System for characterizing non-fatal injuries in the Alaskan commercial fishing industry.

BACKGROUND: The US commercial fishing industry is hazardous, as measured by mortality data. However, research on non-fatal injuries is limited. Non-fatal injuries constitute the majority of occupational injuries and can result in workers' lowered productivity and wages, lost quality of life, and disability. In the United States, a Work Process Classification System (WPCS) has previously been applied in Alaskan freezer-trawl and freezer-longline fleets to identify causes of injuries and specific hazards, but not to other fishing fleets. OBJECTIVES: This descriptive epidemiologic study aimed to explore the application and modification of the WPCS in multiple Alaskan fleets, characterize non-fatal occupational injuries in these fleets, and identify work processes that could be targeted for further investigation and future injury prevention efforts. DESIGN: Traumatic, non-fatal injuries on-board Alaskan commercial fishing vessels were identified through United States Coast Guard investigative reports. Characteristics of injuries, as well as worker characteristics, were analysed. Injuries were coded using the WPCS. RESULTS: We successfully utilized the WPCS to code non-fatal injury cases (n = 136). The most frequent main work processes associated with non-fatal injuries included: on-board trawlers, handling frozen fish and processing the catch; on-board vessels using pot/trap gear, handling the gear and shooting/setting the gear; on-board longliners, traffic on board and hauling the gear; and on-board processor vessels, processing the catch, other work with the catch, and handling frozen fish. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirmed that a WPCS can be applied to multiple Alaskan fleets to identify hazardous tasks. Hazards were unique for each vessel gear type. Future injury prevention efforts should target work processes associated with the most frequent and most severe injuries. Future studies should establish time estimates for work processes in order to determine risk estimates. Efforts to improve non-fatal injury reporting, especially on smaller commercial fishing vessels, should be undertaken.

A Community-Based Approach to Developing a Mobile Device for Measuring Ambient Air Exposure, Location, and Respiratory Health.

In west Eugene (Oregon), community research indicates residents are disproportionately exposed to industrial air pollution and exhibit increased asthma incidence. In Carroll County (Ohio), recent increases in unconventional natural gas drilling sparked air quality concerns. These community concerns led to the development of a prototype mobile device to measure personal chemical exposure, location, and respiratory function. Working directly with the environmental justice (EJ) communities, the prototype was developed to 1) meet the needs of the community and 2) evaluate the use in EJ communities. The prototype was evaluated in three community focus groups (n = 25) to obtain feedback on the prototype and feasibility study design to evaluate the efficacy of the device to address community concerns. Focus groups were recorded and qualitatively analyzed with discrete feedback tabulated for further refinement. The prototype was improved by community feedback resulting in eight alterations/additions to software and instructional materials. Overall, focus group participants were supportive of the device and believed it would be a useful environmental health tool. The use of focus groups ensured that community members were engaged in the research design and development of a novel environmental health tool. We found that community-based research strategies resulted in a refined device as well as relevant research questions, specific to the EJ community needs and concerns.

Reported traumatic injuries among West Coast Dungeness crab fishermen, 2002-2014.

BACKGROUND: Commercial fishing is a high-risk occupation. The West Coast Dungeness crab fishery has a high fatality rate; however, nonfatal injuries have not been previously studied. The purpose of this report was to describe the characteristics of fatal and nonfatal traumatic occupational injuries and associated hazards in this fleet during 2002-2014. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on fatal injuries were obtained from a surveillance system managed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Data on nonfatal injuries were manually abstracted from Coast Guard investigation reports and entered into a study database. Descriptive statistics were used to characterise demographics, injury characteristics, and work processes performed. RESULTS: Twenty-eight fatal and 45 nonfatal injuries were reported between 2002 and 2014 in the Dungeness crab fleet. Most fatalities were due to vessel disasters, and many nonfatal injuries occurred on-deck when fishermen were working with gear, particularly when hauling the gear (47%). The most frequently reported injuries affected the upper extremities (48%), and fractures were the most commonly reported injury type (40%). The overall fatality rate during this time period was 209 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers and the rate of nonfatal injury was 3.4 per 1,000 full-time equivalent workers. CONCLUSIONS: Dungeness crab fishermen are at relatively high risk for fatal injuries. Nonfatal injuries were limited to reported information, which hampers efforts to accurately estimate nonfatal injury risk and understand fishing hazards. Further research is needed to identify work tasks and other hazards that cause nonfatal injuries in this fleet. Engaging fishermen directly may help develop approaches for injury prevention.