Occupational Health and American Indian/Alaska Native Populations: Report on a Workshop

American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are an understudied population especially when it comes to occupational safety and health. There are approximately 5.2 million AI/AN living across the United States, comprising 1.7 percent of the population and 0.8% of the total US workforce. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program show there were 292 AI/AN workers killed on the job from 2003 to 2010, an average of 37 fatalities each year. National data on occupational injuries and illnesses are scarce.

In 2013, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) launched an initiative to partner with AI/AN communities, organizations, and other stakeholders to identify priority issues, conduct outreach, and determine how NIOSH could best provide occupational safety and health (OSH) support to tribal communities.

As part of this initiative, NIOSH is planning the first partnership workshop on occupational safety and health issues of AI/AN workers. The workshop will be held in August/September 2015 and participants will include Tribal representatives, NIOSH staff and other federal government agencies and academic partners. A summary of the workshop outcomes will be presented here. Anticipated outcomes include: identified research priorities, gaps and sources of data for surveillance and research, opportunities for future collaboration, and other worker safety and health needs, such as culturally appropriate educational documents and training. Through this workshop and other interactions with AI/AN communities, NIOSH can work toward providing OSH support in line with tribal priorities.