Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Niosh Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Witnesses tell subcommittee NIOSH staffing cuts risk worker protections
Summary
Former OSHA official and lawmakers told the House subcommittee that recent reductions-in-force at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have disrupted surveillance, research and specialized programs that protect miners, firefighters and other workers.
Witnesses at the House Education and Labor subcommittee warned that recent reductions-in-force at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have curtailed critical surveillance and research programs, jeopardizing preventive work that supports OSHA and other safety efforts.
Jordan Barab, former deputy assistant secretary at OSHA, said nearly the entire NIOSH workforce was placed on leave in April and that “hundreds of working scientists and engineers at NIOSH have been riffed.” He described specific program impacts: the firefighter registry, mine safety research, health hazard evaluations and surveillance functions that detect workplace outbreaks and exposures.
Why it matters: NIOSH conducts research, runs education and research centers, and supports surveillance and programmatic responses that underpin many workplace safety regulations and interventions. Witnesses said those functions matter for miners with black lung disease, firefighters experiencing elevated cancer risks, agricultural and fishing workers, and 9/11 and nuclear veterans who rely on NIOSH support.
Restoration and political interference. During the hearing, members and witnesses discussed partial staff reinstatements: committee members cited public reporting and testimony that portions of the NIOSH workforce were returned, while witnesses said many positions remain unfilled. Ranking Member Omar said more than 60% of NIOSH staff had been returned to service but that significant scientist positions remained vacant.
Calls for action. Barab urged Congress to “permanently restore NIOSH” and highlighted that the loss of NIOSH experts undermines OSHA’s ability to set and update standards and to investigate unusual workplace illnesses. Members from both parties raised concerns about politicized decisions to bring back certain programs but not others.
What’s next: Members indicated oversight interest and the need for either departmental action or legislative remedies to ensure NIOSH maintains its research and surveillance roles; no legislative actions were taken in the hearing.
