NEW YORK — Significant staffing reductions have severely impacted a small U.S. health agency dedicated to safeguarding workers, resulting in criticism from firefighters, coal miners, and various industries. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), located in Cincinnati and part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is expected to lose around 850 of its 1,000 employees, according to union representatives and affected staff. The cuts include the removal of Director Dr. John Howard, who served through three previous administrations.
The workforce reduction threatens to halt many programs, such as a firefighter cancer registry and a critical lab for respirator certification across multiple sectors. Micah Niemeier-Walsh, vice president of the union local for NIOSH employees in Cincinnati, described the cuts as a targeted attack on American workers. Unions representing various professions argue that the staffing cuts could hinder the identification and prevention of workplace hazards. Recent demonstrations in Cincinnati and other cities included both laid-off CDC employees and members from other unions, as noted by Niemeier-Walsh.
Dr. Andrew Ansbro, president of a New York City firefighters’ union, highlighted that NIOSH doctors certify healthcare eligibility for 9/11 responders with chronic illnesses under the World Trade Center Health Program. Ansbro stated that dismantling NIOSH undermines the memory of fallen heroes and neglects those still suffering from 9/11-related conditions.
Established under a 1970 law by President Richard Nixon, NIOSH began operations the following year, expanding to labs and offices in eight cities, including Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and more. Over the past five decades, the agency has conducted groundbreaking research on various occupational hazards, from air quality to infectious diseases. In addition, NIOSH contributed to assessing disasters like Deepwater Horizon and advised on CDC’s measles response.
Notably, the agency has done extensive work related to mining, including training doctors to diagnose black lung disease and conducting mobile screenings for miners nationwide. Having previously owned an experimental mine in Pennsylvania, NIOSH announced plans to build a new research facility in West Virginia.
NIOSH’s research has provided a basis for Department of Labor regulations regarding worker protection, such as recent rules on silica dust exposure for coal miners. Some studies even attribute millions of dollars in savings to the nation because of NIOSH’s efforts.
The impact of the staff cuts remains uncertain, as NIOSH is affected by the extensive restructuring and budget reductions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), involving about 10,000 layoffs. Nonunion workers were asked to vacate their positions immediately, while union employees received notifications of impending terminations.
According to an HHS spokesperson, the remnants of NIOSH will integrate into a newly formed entity called the Administration for a Healthy America. Although HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned the potential reinstatement of up to 20% of laid-off federal health employees, specific details about NIOSH’s programs remain unclear. Recently, U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino announced that Dr. Howard had been reinstated as the administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program, though his role as NIOSH director remains uncertain.
Information about the NIOSH layoffs has been largely compiled by employees and unions. Almost every NIOSH program faces severe reductions or termination. Niemeier-Walsh mentioned that the firefighter cancer registry website was taken offline due to insufficient IT staff.
Concerns also arise from the situation at a NIOSH lab in Morgantown, where ongoing experiments face abrupt termination, possibly leading to the destruction of research animals, according to Cathy Tinney-Zara, a public health analyst and union leader.
The closure of the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, which tests fitted masks that protect against airborne hazards, has drawn criticism from industries. Eric Axel of the American Medical Manufacturers Association warned that shuttering the lab advantages foreign companies that do not adhere to the same standards.
Rebecca Shelton, policy director for the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, expressed concern that eliminating NIOSH programs for coal miners could leave their health unmonitored. With ties to occupational health running deep in many NIOSH workers’ families, Niemeier-Walsh highlighted the personal connection staff have to their mission. Her grandfather was a toxicologist with the agency for three decades, instilling in her the idea of using science to protect workers.