The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a cornerstone of workplace safety research, is being drastically downsized as part of a sweeping restructuring within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 

NIOSH is the federal institute responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in DHHS. The mission is to develop new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and to transfer that knowledge into practice.

NIOSH has a clear mandate to assure “every man and woman in the nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources.” The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established NIOSH as a research institute focused on the study of worker safety and health, and empowering employers and workers to create safe and healthy workplaces. It has more than 1,300 employees spread across the United States, from a diverse set of fields including epidemiology, medicine, nursing, industrial hygiene, safety, etc.

NIOSH worked with global partners in areas of mutual interest to fill knowledge gaps and to enhance the impact of translating research into practice for workers both in the U.S. and in other countries. This includes:

• Knowledge exchange of information and research
• Contribute and review international documents
• Participate in international committees, standards development, and professional associations
• Contribute to international training materials
• Present at international conferences and meetings

Deep cuts 

As of April 1, 2025, at least two-thirds of the NIOSH staff are being laid off as part of a restructuring ordered by DHHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., multiple federal health officials told CBS News. Around 873 staff were cut from NIOSH, out of the 10,000 workers slated to be laid off from DHHS this year. NIOSH was created by Congress in 1970 to study worker safety and health. Workplaces often turn to NIOSH to investigate outbreaks like the deadly fungal outbreak in a Michigan paper mill in 2023. New "Health Hazard Evaluation" (HHE) probes by NIOSH were paused for several weeks under travel and communication restrictions.

Health officials bracing for deep cuts within NIOSH include workers at the agency's Pittsburgh and Spokane offices. Among the teams where "all employees" are expected to be impacted are the office of NIOSH's director, the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory — which is tasked with vetting and approving N95 respirators among other personal protective equipment — as well as several branches dealing with mine safety and health.

The "probable effective date" for the cuts in the workforce is June 30. Lilas Soukup, president of AFGE 1916, confirmed the union was forwarded the notification from HHS but said they had received little guidance on the details of the cuts. HHS did not respond to a request for comment about the planned cuts.

Affected areas

NIOSH's teams currently sit within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They oversee several programs ranging from a national registry to study cancer rates in firefighters to a program to monitor and treat people sickened during the rescue and cleanup of the September 11th terror attacks.

Under the reorganization plan, NIOSH would be combined into a new Administration for a Healthy America along with several other agencies, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Several offices are expected to be merged into the CDC under the restructuring, ranging from staff working out of the department's global affairs teams to most of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

ASPR oversees the nation's pandemic stockpiles of vaccines, medications, and personal protective equipment. It also runs several emergency preparedness and response efforts, including medical teams that are dispatched to respond to disasters. As part of internal merger plans shared with CBS News, ASPR's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) team would be cleaved off and moved elsewhere.

Among the pandemic preparedness projects funded by BARDA had been several studies of experimental COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Past BARDA awards have funded the development of vaccines and treatments that were successfully deployed to fight other outbreaks, such as the spread of mpox in 2022.

Other sectors of NIOSH being affected by the Reduction In Force (RIF) are all of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) programs established to stimulate innovative research and improve workplace practices. These NORA programs ceased operations on April 1, 2025. NORA uses a sector and cross-sector based approach to define and meet high priority needs through NORA Councils. These councils develop research agendas with research priorities for the nation. NORA Councils are structured to bring together stakeholders from industry, labor, academia, and government to identify critical occupational safety and health issues and promote collaborative research efforts. 

NORA Sector Councils include markets in agriculture; forestry and fishing; construction; healthcare and social assistance; manufacturing; mining; oil and gas extraction; public safety; services; transportation; warehousing and utilities; and wholesale and retail trades. On the other hand the NORA Cross Sector Councils provide scientific evidence related to cancer, reproductive, cardiovascular and other chronic disease prevention; hearing loss prevention; immune, infectious and dermal disease prevention; musculoskeletal health; respiratory health; traumatic injury prevention; healthy work design and well-being. All of these NORA programs are now affected by the HSS RIF. 

Key consequences

This restructuring marks a significant shift in workplace safety oversight, with many experts fearing a loss of scientific expertise, reduced regulatory effectiveness, and an increase in workplace hazards. Without NIOSH’s independent research and advocacy, the responsibility for worker protection may fall solely on OSHA — an agency focused more on enforcement than research. The key consequences of NIOSH’s dismantling include:

• Loss of Critical Research & Safety Programs: The shutdown of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) will halt vital studies on workplace hazards across industries like construction, healthcare, and manufacturing.
• Weakened Respiratory Protection Oversight: The closure of the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory undermines the vetting of N95 masks and other essential protective equipment, potentially leaving workers vulnerable in future health crises.
• Disruption in Workplace Outbreak Investigations: Health Hazard Evaluations, which helped address workplace disease outbreaks — such as the deadly fungal infection in a Michigan paper mill in 2023 — are now on hold.
• Uncertain Future for Worker Protections: The merger of NIOSH into the newly formed Administration for a Healthy America raises concerns about whether worker safety research will remain a priority or be diluted among broader public health initiatives.

The full consequences of these cuts remain to be seen, but one thing is clear: worker health and safety in the U.S. is at a crossroads. The question now is whether policymakers will take steps to fill the void left by NIOSH — or if workplace protections will suffer a lasting setback.

References  

RFK Jr.'s layoffs expected to gut worker safety agency NIOSH, officials say, Alexander Tin, March 31, 2025 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-layoffs-hhs-niosh-worker-safety-agency/ 

About the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/about/index.html