Two-thirds of organization's workforce being let go, says report
Numerous safety organizations are sounding the alarm amid reports of mass layoffs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the United States.
“We are closely monitoring these probable agency changes, knowing they would have lasting effects on workplace safety, industry innovation and worker well-being,” said Pam Walaski, president of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). “We urge lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate to examine these issues carefully and take action to ensure that OSHA and NIOSH can continue their essential missions without disruptions.”
The layoffs are part of the U.S. government’s push to restructure NIOSH, as ordered by the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a report from KREM, a television station based in Spokane, Washington.
Overall, two-thirds of workers at the NIOSH are being laid off, according to the report, citing information from the American Federation of Government Workers (AFGE) Local 1916 Union, which represents workers at NIOSH.
On Tuesday, leadership staff were let go and by June 30, the rest of the employees will be laid off, according to the report.
"I have concerns as the local president, obviously of safety, number one," Lilas Soukup, president of the union, said, according to the KREM report. "Without management, I am concerned about the employees working without the supervision or the individuals that can respond for an emergency without the supervision, let alone the individuals that can respond within the laboratory."
The US’s Occupational Safety and Health Act, enacted by the US Congress and signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, established a framework “that has greatly improved workplace safety through agencies: such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NIOSH, noted ASSP.
OSHA helps safeguard workers from many hazards by setting and enforcing safety and health standards, providing training and education, and offering compliance assistance, according to the organization. Meanwhile, NIOSH conducts vital research and develops key interventions that reduce worker injuries, illnesses and fatalities nationwide.
“A strong partnership between the public and private sectors is essential to occupational safety and health,” Walaski said. “ASSP has long supported government agencies that prioritize worker safety. Seeing them seriously weakened would be a profound loss for workers, businesses and our nation as a whole.”
"I have concerns as the local president, obviously of safety, number one," added Lilas Soukup, president of the union, said. "Without management, I am concerned about the employees working without the supervision or the individuals that can respond for an emergency without the supervision, let alone the individuals that can respond within the laboratory."
Meanwhile, the International Safety Equipment Association called the layoffs “unprecedented,” noting that it would “dismantle the only federal laboratory responsible for certifying respirators used by more than 50 million American workers”.
“They would also cripple the agency that leads critical worker safety and health research—research that has saved thousands of lives and prevented billions of dollars in losses across U.S. industries,” said the association.
A number of groups have already sent a joint letter to the U.S. Congress, calling for the immediate reversal of the proposed NIOSH cuts.
