Trump administration intends discounts to shrink niosh by two -thirds

While the news of the day focuses on the last round of President Trump’s tariffs, his administration’s campaign to recharge in government expenses has reached the safety arena at work. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced Plans to reduce the National Institute for Safety and Health at Work (NiOSH) up to two -thirds. Niosh is currently part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Restructuring, according to Kennedy, will lead to the creation of the administration for a healthy America (AHA). AHA Recent Format will combine several agencies – the Office of the Assistant Health Assistant (Oash), the Administration of Health Resources and Services (HRSA), the Administration of Substance and Mental Health Abuse Services (Samhsa), the Agency for Toxic Substance and the Disease Register (ATSDR) and NiOSH – in the single entity. The result stipulated, said HHS, is to save taxpayers $ 1.8 billion per year by a reduction of workforce of approximately 10,000 full-time employees. When factory at early retirement, the total reduction of the HHS workforce will reduce the size from 82,000 to 62,000 full -time employees.

Explaining the discounts, the secretary of HHS, Kennedy, said in a statement: “Over time, bureaucrats such as HHS become wasteful and inefficient, even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants. This review will be a winner for taxpayers and for those who serve HHS.

Not everyone involved in the job actions at work The optimistic vision of Kennedy that less is more-fewer people involved in the government sponsored safety initiatives will make a safer job. Pam Walaski, the president of the American Society of Security Professionals (ASSP), has expressed concern not only about the severe reduction of NiOSH, but also to a government proposal to close multiple offices in the field of occupational safety and health (OSHA).

“These discounts” Walaski said in a statement“It threatens that it will weaken the scientific basis of safety and health at work. We believe that this change could be severely researching professional EHS, which is a major part of NiOSH mission. NiOSH’s contributions have been essential to promote safety at work and health through evidence -based research.

ASSP intends to urge the parliamentarians in the room and the US Senate to “take measures to ensure that Osha and Niosh can continue their essential missions without disturbances,” she added.

National Council for Safety and Health at Work (National Cosh), a group that pleads on behalf of workers Taking an even weaker view from HHS labor discounts. “Removing Niosh is a direct attack on the safety, health and life of workers, which leads to more death, more injury and less responsibility,” said Jessica Martinez, the executive director of National Cosh, in a statement.

“If we eliminate an agency like Niosh, it will have devastating consequences. Employers will have less responsibility. The injury and fatality rates will increase. This will leave the workers without the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe.” To be clear, HHS has not explicitly suggested that NiOSh be “eliminated”, but rather reduced and absorbed in the new AHA.

Martinez stressed that Niosh plays an essential role in the safety of the workplace, in areas such as investigations on toxic exposures, thermal stress, work in the workplace and preventing injury. Niosh also informs various OSHA policies, including protections against asbestos and silica dust.

“What Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does,” Martinez said, “gives more power to corporations and strips the protection from people who keep this country in operation. It is about putting margins on life.”

Conformable A report from CBS NewsIt is estimated that 873 employees are estimated to be cut from Niosh. The “effective probable date” for labor reductions is June 30, according to the letter obtained by the CBS that was sent by HHS to the Union for government employees.