We, as concerned occupational medicine professionals, strongly oppose the planned reduction of approximately 873 staff members at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)—nearly two-thirds of its workforce—as announced in recent federal restructuring plans. NIOSH’s work has been pivotal over the past decades in safeguarding the health, safety, and productivity of American workers. We believe that these cuts will not only compromise essential research and technical assistance programs but also undermine hard-won advances in worker protection, leading to increased occupational injuries, illnesses, and long-term economic costs.
NIOSH’s Proven Impact on Worker Safety and Health
- Ensuring Effective Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory rigorously tests and certifies critical PPE, including N95 respirators. This work has been instrumental during public health emergencies by ensuring that first responders, healthcare providers, and other workers have reliable protection against airborne hazards. Without sustained staffing, delays in testing or lapses in quality control could result in substandard equipment reaching the workplace, thereby increasing exposure risks. - Reducing Exposure to Hazardous Substances:
Through decades of research, NIOSH has developed engineering controls to limit exposure to crystalline silica in industries such as construction. These efforts have led to tangible reductions in the risk of silicosis and lung cancer, thereby lowering long-term healthcare costs and reducing lost workdays. Eliminating or impairing these programs risks reversing these trends, exposing workers to preventable chronic respiratory conditions. - Promoting Holistic Worker Health through Total Worker Health® Initiatives:
The Total Worker Health® (TWH) program integrates traditional safety measures with proactive health promotion—combining injury prevention with initiatives such as ergonomic interventions. Pilot studies under TWH have demonstrated reductions in musculoskeletal injuries and improvements in employee well-being, which in turn boost retention and productivity. Cuts to NIOSH would jeopardize the continued development and dissemination of these evidence-based practices, ultimately affecting both worker health and business outcomes. - Advancing Hearing Loss Prevention with the Buy Quiet Initiative:
NIOSH’s Buy Quiet program encourages the purchase of lower-noise equipment by establishing a database of noise emission levels and promoting best practices among employers. This initiative has not only reduced the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss but also lowered associated workers’ compensation and healthcare costs. Disruption to this program could lead to increased auditory hazards in noisy industries, compounding long-term health risks.
Potential Consequences of the Proposed Staff Cuts
- Disruption of Critical Programs:
The proposed downsizing threatens to delay or halt essential research projects and technical evaluations. For example, the interruption of PPE testing and respiratory protection programs could delay the approval of new safety equipment at a time when rapid responses are needed for emerging public health threats. - Loss of Institutional Expertise:
The significant reduction in experienced staff risks eroding decades of specialized knowledge in occupational safety and health. This loss would hinder NIOSH’s ability to respond promptly to evolving workplace hazards, impairing efforts to protect millions of workers across diverse industries. - Negative Economic and Productivity Impacts:
NIOSH’s programs—ranging from engineering controls to integrated health promotion initiatives—have demonstrably reduced workplace injuries and illnesses, thereby saving billions in medical costs and productivity losses. Weakening these programs would likely reverse these economic benefits, leading to increased absenteeism, higher healthcare expenses, and reduced overall worker productivity.
Call to Action
We urge policymakers, stakeholders, and industry leaders to reconsider these drastic staffing cuts. The benefits of NIOSH’s work are clear: enhanced worker safety, reduced occupational disease burdens, improved job satisfaction, and significant cost savings. Cutting NIOSH’s capacity at this critical juncture would undermine our national ability to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses and compromise the health and productivity of the workforce.
Maintaining robust funding and a full complement of skilled personnel at NIOSH is not merely an investment in public health—it is essential for protecting the nation’s economic future. We call for an immediate reevaluation of the restructuring plans to ensure that these vital programs continue to operate without disruption.
Lawrence Earl, MD, President NAOHP
Endorsed by:
Kristin Tamkus, MPS, CAE, Executive Director, AAOHN National Office
