AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING
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Program Description
The Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) Program addresses work-related safety and health issues for three different industries, but as a sector they share some common characteristics and concerns. These industries provide food, fuel, and fiber for the United States and around the globe. Together, they form one of the most hazardous industrial sectors, with the highest fatal occupational injury rate at 25.6 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers, compared to a rate of 3.4 deaths per 100,000 workers for all industries.1
NIOSH has accumulated several decades of sound scientific information about risks, hazards, and prevention in agriculture and fishing, and to a lesser extent in forestry. Translating that knowledge into effective prevention and protection strategies for the direct benefit of workers is our main priority in all three of these sectors. NIOSH’s primary mechanism for research translation is conducting both broad and targeted outreach and communication activities and creating strong partnerships to develop, evaluate, and promote the most effective ways to turn best practices into business-as-usual. The AgFF Program encourages and supports research, outreach, prevention activities, and partnerships with and between industry, labor, trade associations, professional organizations, and academia.
Not all workers have the same risk of experiencing a work-related health problem, even when they have the same job. Factors that place some workers at greater risk than others include social dynamics such as race, ethnicity, place of birth, age, class, and gender; economic trends such as the growth of the temporary workforce; and organizational factors such as business size. Workers in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors experience several of these factors and economics, such as working for small businesses or temporary labor contractors. The AgFF Program aims to decrease occupational diseases, injuries, and fatalities among vulnerable AgFF workers who are at higher risk for occupational injury and illness.
Major NAICS industries in the NIOSH Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Program
| NAICS | NAICS Industry Title | Industries within NAICS Group | Number of Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | Crop production | Oilseed and grain, vegetable and melon, and fruit and nut tree farming; greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production; other crop farming (tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, hay, sugar beet, peanut) | 1,219,000 |
| 112 | Animal production and aquaculture | Cattle ranching and farming; hog and pig farming; poultry and egg production; sheep and goat farming; aquaculture; other animal production | 847,000 |
| 113 | Forestry and logging | Timber tract operations; forest nurseries and gathering of forest products; logging | 132,000 |
| 114 | Fishing, hunting and trapping | Fishing; hunting and trapping | 56,000 |
| 115 | Support activities for agriculture and forestry | Support activities for crop production; support activities for animal production; support activities for forestry | 168,000 |
For more information about the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector, please see the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Web site
The Number of Workers is obtained from the 2015 Current Population Survey , accessed September 20, 2016
- Page last reviewed: November 18, 2016
- Page last updated: November 18, 2016
- Content source:
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Office of the Director