Alaska's model program for surveillance and prevention of occupational injury deaths

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) establish ed its Alaska Field Station in Anchorage in 1991 after identifying Alaska a s the highest-risk state for traumatic worker fatalities. Since then, the F ield Station, working in collaboration with other agencies, organizations, and individuals, has established a program for occupational injury surveill ance in Alaska and formed interagency working groups to address the risk fa ctors leading to occupational death and injury in the state. Collaborative efforts have contributed to reducing crash rates and mortalit y in Alaska's rapidly expanding helicopter logging industry and have played an important supportive role in the substantial progress made in reducing the mortality rate in Alaska's commercial fishing industry (historically Al aska's and America's most dangerous industry). Alaska experienced a 46% ove rall decline in work-related acute traumatic injury deaths from 1991 to 199 8, a 64% decline in commercial fishing deaths, and a very sharp decline in helicopter logging-related deaths. Extending this regional approach to othe r parts of the country and applying these strategies to the entire spectrum of occupational injury and disease hazards could have a broad effect on re ducing occupational injuries.