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

Details

• Personal Author:
  Case, Samantha L. ; Robertson, Lakshmi D. ; Syron, Laura N. ; Victoroff, Tristan M.
• Description:
  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. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Engineering Hunting Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Nonfatal Injury Engineering Controls Equipment Operation Fishing Fishing Industry Hand Injuries Injury Prevention Machine Safety Occupational Safety And Health Traumatic Injuries Upper Extremities Winch Safety

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• ISSN:
  1059-924X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Alaska ; OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  WSD - Western States Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  12 pdf pages
• Volume:
  28
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066874
• Citation:
  J Agromedicine 2023 Jul; 28(3):433-443
• Contact Point Address:
  Tristan M. Victoroff, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Western States Division, Spokane, USA
• Email:
  TVictoroff@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Agromedicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0d9414dd2a7adde3fca215a8aaf5f22d69c8f936a1347d5bac6f61c8dc58685756d7c43fa33eddfc144f41e0131cbbfe412e9b0d0890d87f3f2dc4eb1beb8a54
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230677/cdc_230677_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.95 MB ]