On April 2, 2025, most of the leadership and research scientists at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) were terminated from employment. The termination resulted in a reduction of at least two-thirds of the NIOSH staff, or approximately 873 people.
Why Does it Matter?
NIOSH and OSHA were founded in 1970, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration starting up on April 28, 1971. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) joined under the U.S. Department of Labor in 1977. OSHA and MSHA are responsible for developing and enforcing workplace health and safety standards. NIOSH is essentially the “test kitchen” of OSHA and MSHA – studying worker safety and health and investigating injuries and outbreaks such as COVID-19 and the 2023 fungal outbreak that required a shutdown of a paper mill in Michigan. Currently, NIOSH, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is assisting with and investigating the measles outbreak in the United States and maintaining the data of total outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths. NIOSH partners with OSHA and MSHA to develop “criteria documents” that recommend requirements and/or improvements that could include new health and safety standards.
The Domino Effect of the Downsizing
The termination of the vast majority of NIOSH employees also impacts the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL). The NPPTL may not be widely known, but it is responsible for...
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