Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research at NIOSH
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12088.html
Committee to Review the NIOSH Agriculture,
Forestry, and Fishing Research Program
Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research at NIOSH
Reviews of Research Programs of the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS • 500 Fifth Street, NW • Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the
National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy
of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of
the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard
for appropriate balance.
This study was requested by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by Contracts 211-2006-19152 (Task Order 001)
and 200-2005-10881 (Task Order 0004). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommenda-
tions contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project. The content of this publication
does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services,
nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the
U.S. Government.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-11579-7
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-11579-5
Cover
: Photo credits: winter wheat harvest near Crary, North Dakota by Erin Wood; logging by
Professor Garland, Forest Engineer, Oregon State University; speedboat by Wojciech Kielpinski.

is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to as-
sociate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering
knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies
determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the
National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the
government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered
jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M.
Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
www.national-academies.org
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Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research at NIOSH
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v
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE NIOSH AGRICULTURE,
FORESTRY, AND FISHING RESEARCH PROGRAM
PAUL D. GUNDERSON (Chair), National Farm Medicine Center (Emeritus),
Marshfield, Wisconsin
MARIA T. CORREA, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
R. ALAN DAVIS, American Seafoods Company, Seattle, Washington
JAMES A. DOSMAN, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
WILLIAM A. GROVES, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
RONALD L. McALLISTER, CNH America LLC, New Holland, Pennsylvania
JAMES D. McGLOTHLIN, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
SUSAN H. POLLACK, University of Kentucky, Lexington
LORANN STALLONES, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
DON VILLAREJO, California Institute for Rural Studies (Emeritus), Davis

forestry, and fishing date back only 2 decades for agriculture and just over 3 de-
cades for fishing. Yet, the interest of safety specialists, hygienists, engineers, public
health professionals, clinicians, and policymakers dates back to the 1940s, when
the war effort demanded an able, fit workforce to produce food and fiber for the
allied armed forces. Drawing on that long tradition, NIOSH forged an agricul-
tural occupational safety and health agenda in response to the 1990 congressional
mandate. Using public health approaches, the NIOSH Agriculture, Forestry, and
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research at NIOSH
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P r e f a c e
viii
Fishing Research Program (AFF Program) attempted to respond to worksites risks
and hazards numbering more than 3 million, a complex collage of child and adult
worker exposures, technological change unseen before in the history of human
labor in extractive industries, unprecedented public policy gyrations, and emerg-
ing genomic capability. En route, it conducted surveillance, deployed an innovative
regionalized system for the conduct of useful research and outreach activity, nour-
ished a generation of scientists and occupational health clinicians, and developed
useful linkages with organizations and entities that share a workforce safety and
health agenda. Now, under the guidance of the National Research Council and
the Institute of Medicine, it is time to pause, assemble results, analyze program
outcomes, and reflect for the future.
The committee’s composition was broad, reflecting both the diverse nature of
the three industry sectors covered by the NIOSH AFF Program and the diversity of
occupational exposures experienced by workers in the sectors (see Appendix D). Its
professional skill set spanned from agricultural engineering to agricultural exten-
sion and education, from clinical medicine to epidemiology, from anthropology
to physics, and from occupational hygiene to occupational safety. The committee
is due a full measure of gratitude for its selfless pursuit of its charge and its review

serves the best protection from risk that the nation can provide. Its work was
launched in the belief that that workforce is vitally important for the nation’s future.
To that workforce the committee dedicates its analyses reported herein.
Paul D. Gunderson
Committee Chair
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research at NIOSH
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xi
Acknowledgments
This report is a product of the cooperation and contributions of many people.
The committee would like to thank all the speakers who attended the first commit-
tee meeting on January 19, 2007, and the second committee meeting on March 28-
29, 2007, and others who provided information and input (see committee meeting
agendas in Appendix B).
The report has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse
perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by
the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this
independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the
institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that
the report meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness
to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confiden-
tial to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following for
their review of this report:
John C. Bailar III, University of Chicago (Emeritus)
Dorianne Beyer, LMC Labor & Monitoring Consultants
Susan E. Cozzens, Georgia Institute of Technology

Study Charge and Evaluation Committee, 15
Evaluation Approach, 16
The U.S. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Industries, 20
Legislative History and Historical Perspective, 25
Organization of the Report, 31
2 THE IDEAL AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHING
RESEARCH PROGRAM 32
Overarching Program Characteristics, 32
Specific Program Components, 34
3 OVERALL PROGRAM ASSESSMENT 46
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research Program Goals, 47
4 REVIEW OF SURVEILLANCE RESEARCH 69
Strategic Goals and Objectives, 69
Logic Submodel, 70
Inputs, 70
Activities, 72
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c o n t e n t s
xiv
Outputs, 75
Intermediate Outcomes, 77
End Outcomes, 77
Other Outcomes, 78
5 REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON HIGH-PRIORITY POPULATIONS
AT RISK 79
Strategic Goals and Objectives, 79
Logic Submodel, 81
Inputs, 81

c o n t e n t s
xv
Activities, 128
Outputs, 128
Intermediate Outcomes, 129
End Outcomes, 131
Review of the NIOSH Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury
Research, Education, and Prevention (Ag Centers), 132
Evaluation, 139
9 OTHER PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS IDENTIFIED BY
THE COMMITTEE 140
Stakeholders, 140
Health Services Research and Training, 147
Public Policy and Regulatory Advice, 153
Program Evaluation Initiatives, 155
10 PROGRAM SCORING AND RATIONALE 158
Assessment of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research Program
Relevance and Impact, 159
Discussion of Ratings for Relevance and Impact, 160
Additional Comments about Relevance, 167
Additional Comments about Impact, 169
Key Program Limitations, 171
Conclusion, 174
11 NEW AND EMERGING RESEARCH IN AGRICULTURAL,
FORESTRY, AND FISHING SAFETY AND HEALTH 175
Identification of New and Emerging Research by the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 175
New Research Identified by the Committee, 178
Emerging Research and Issues Identified by the Committee, 183
Conclusion, 194

6-1 Research Emphases of Some NIOSH Ag Centers, 101
7-1 Programs with Intervention Research Activities, 114
7-2 Federal Agencies Partnering with the NIOSH AFF Program on
High-Priority Populations at Risk, 117
E-1 Directly Hired Farm Workers and Agricultural Service Workers in the
United States, 2006, 305
E-2 Classes of Workers: Civilian Population 16 Years Old and Older Employed
in Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting (AFFH), 307
E-3 Census Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations,
United States, 1990 and 2000, 308
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xviii
t a b l e s , f i g u r e s , a n d b o x e s
E-4 Hired Farmworker Employment, 1998-2006, Annual Average Economic
Research Service (ERS) Analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) (at
least 15 years old) versus Farm Labor Survey (all ages), 310
E-5 Hired Farmworker Employment, Farm Labor Contractors, California,
2000: Comparison of Farm Labor Survey, Agricultural Bulletin Surveys,
and ES202 Reports, 315
E-6 Paid Claims Under Workers’ Compensation Insurance, Hired Farm
Workers, California, 1990-1999, Claim Frequency Report (Level 5), 316
FIGURES
1-1 The AFF Program logic model, 18
2-1 The intervention research framework and phases, 41
4-1 Surveillance logic submodel, 71
5-1 Priority populations at risk research logic submodel, 82
6-1 Health effects research logic submodel, 96
7-1 Intervention research logic submodel, 113

Abbreviations and Acronyms
ACS American Community Survey
AFF agriculture, forestry, and fishing
AFS Alaska Field Station
AgDARE Agricultural Disability Awareness and Risk Education
AMSEA Alaska Marine Safety Education Association
AOISS Alaska Occupational Injury Surveillance System
APMP Agricultural Personnel Management Program
ARC agricultural research center
ASABE American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
ASAE American Society of Agricultural Engineers
ASH-NET Agriculture Safety and Health Network
ASPH Association of Schools of Public Health
ATR Alaska Trauma Registry
ATV all-terrain vehicle
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics
CA EDD California Employment Development Department
CAFO concentrated animal feeding operation
CAIS Child Agricultural Injury Survey
CalOSHA California Occupational Safety and Health Administration
CARE Children’s Act for Responsible Employment
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a b b r e v i a t i o n s a n d a c r o n y m s
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDPHE Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
CES Cooperative Extension Service
CEW Census of Employment and Wages

GM genetically modified
GMO genetically modified organism
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a b b r e v i a t i o n s a n d a c r o n y m s
GPCAH Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health
HAVS hand-arm vibration syndrome
HELD Health Effects Laboratory Division
HHE Health Hazard Evaluation
HICAHS High Plains Intermountan Center for Agricultural Health and
Safety
HO hazardous orders
HRSA Health Resources and Services Administration
IFISH International Fishing Industry Safety and Health
IFQ individual fishing quotas
ILO International Labour Organization
IOM Institute of Medicine
IPM integrated pest management
IRCA Immigration Reform and Control Act
MAF Master Address File
MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
MSAWPA Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act
MSD musculoskeletal disorder
MSHA Mine Safety and Health Administration
NAGCAT North American Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks
NAICS North American Industry Classification System
NASC NIOSH Agricultural Steering Committee
NASD National Agriculture Safety Database

OMB Office of Management and Budget
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PNASHC Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center
PRL Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
QALS Quarterly Agricultural Labor Survey
r2p research to practice
RAW replenishment agricultural worker
RFA request for application
RFP request for proposal
ROPS rollover protective structure
RR relative risk
SAW seasonal agricultural worker
SENSOR Sentinel Event Notification of Occupational Risk
SMV slow-moving vehicle
SOII Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
SRL Spokane Research Laboratory
SW Center Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and
Education
TRAC-Safe Tractor Risk Abatement and Control
UI unemployment insurance
USCG U.S. Coast Guard
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a b b r e v i a t i o n s a n d a c r o n y m s
USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture
UTHCT University of Texas Health Center at Tyler
WCAHS Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
WCIRB Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau