In 1991 the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) identified Alaska as the highest-risk state for traumatic worker fatalities. In the 1990s a focus on safer work environments cut worker deaths by almost 50 percent, though the death rate remained at almost triple the national average. Despite the extreme working conditions for industries such as commercial fishing and air transportation, Alaska has made much progress in making its workforce safer.
Workplace fatalities are measured by the number of deaths per 100,000 workers. According to the U.S. Bureau ofLabor Statistics, Alaska’s rate was 5.6 in 2009, the most recent year for which the rate has been calculated, signaling a significant improvement from a fatality rate of 31.4 in 1992. Yet, Alaska still suffers a higher fatality rate than the rest of the nation.
In May 2012, QSE’s Dr. Angelica Grindle took behavior-based safety (BBS) to Alaska and received great reviews for her presentation of “Take Your Safety Culture to the Next Level!” at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel in Anchorage.
Participants from surrounding Alaskan businesses and industries learned the key elements of a successful behavioral safety initiative and the steps involved in its implementation. QSE looks forward to its role in making Alaskan workers safer with BBS.