Health and Safety in U.S. Chesapeake Bay Oyster Aquaculture: A Qualitative Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Agnew J ; Ceryes CA ; Fry J ; Love DC ; Moore ERH ; Moynihan EE ; Neff R ; Nussbaumer E
• Description:
  Objectives: Aquaculture seafood production exists on every inhabited continent. Small-scale, bivalve shellfish farming is a growing industry on the East Coast of the United States. Aquaculture workers in the US experience high injury and illness rates relative to the average worker, and many small-scale aquaculture operations are exempted from national injury and illness reporting requirements. Given current evidence of occupational safety and health (OSH) risks, planned industry expansion, and limited systematic OSH data collection from small aquaculture farms, it is critical to understand challenges and opportunities to promote worker safety and health on these operations. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with nine oyster producers in Maryland (n = 8) and Virginia (n = 1) to document their perspectives on occupational safety and health (OSH) issues. Results: Respondents reported various hazards and safety interventions spanning the hierarchy of controls. Many desired better access to safety training and interventions. Conclusions: This study contributes to global efforts to improve safety and health in the fast-growing aquaculture sector. Like other developing aquaculture industries, Chesapeake Bay shellfish aquaculture producers face significant OSH challenges, with limited safety resources and guidance. Governmental industry development support should include funding for robust and industry-inclusive OSH surveillance and interventions, concentrating on the most effective hazard control measures, including elimination, substitution, and engineering controls. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hazardous Substances Health Promotion Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Aquatic Working Environment Author Keywords: Aquaculture Hazard Controls Health Promotion Hierarchy Of Controls Injury Prevention Occupational Safety And Health Qualitative Analysis Safety Practices Shellfish Worker Health

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• ISSN:
  1059-924X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  360-375
• Volume:
  30
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070549
• Citation:
  J Agromedicine 2025 Apr; 30(2):360-375
• Contact Point Address:
  Caitlin A. Ceryes, Department of Health Sciences, Towson University, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252, USA
• Email:
  cceryes@towson.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Agromedicine
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a55e0a0e0a86a14380b170239389dbdf83dd837885d930db98fb1ecf54def506e3213ae88db7b2c5f9954709a02d9ad46b27e3c6ec3a9c4671f63ebc14dd79fd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208734/cdc_208734_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.38 MB ]