US construction safety in limbo as Trump admin shutters federal agency

A construction work site and safety insignia Image: Adobe Stock

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a federal body under the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is set to dissolve under the Trump administration, according to internal notices and multiple news reports.

A Reuters report published on May 3 confirmed that NIOSH employees were informed of impending job eliminations and the agency’s closure; the agency is expected to shut on 1 June.

The CDC and NIOSH are part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is currently led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Though NIOSH does not enforce safety rules – that responsibility lies with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – it conducts research that guides safety standards, personal protective equipment design, and risk mitigation across multiple sectors.

For construction, the timing has raised particular concern.

In a March 5 public statement, NIOSH director Dr John Howard warned that the construction industry continues to suffer a “disproportionately high number of fatal injuries.” While fatal workplace injuries across the US dropped by 3.7% in 2023, construction accounted for more than one in five worker deaths.

Falls remain the leading cause of fatal construction injuries. In 2023, 64% of fatal falls occurred from heights between 6ft and 30ft (1.8m and 9.1m), with ladders and stairs cited in more than a quarter of all construction deaths. NIOSH-funded studies were focused on head protection, robotic safety, ladder hazards, and mental health challenges among construction workers. Meanwhile, Cam Mackey, president & CEO of the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) warned that NIOSH has the only lab that certifies respirators for American workers. (the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory).

Many of those efforts now face uncertainty. NIOSH collaborates closely with OSHA, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training – and university researchers on what are known as the OSHA Focus Four Hazards: falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-in/between accidents. These categories alone account for more than half of all construction deaths in the US.

While no replacement structure for NIOSH has been announced, the decision appears to align with broader efforts by the Trump administration to reduce regulatory oversight and restructure federal agencies.

Industry responds to Trump’s dissolution of NIOSH

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., descending stairs, in a photo from 2021. Image: Adobe Stock

Reaction from the industry, specifically from trade organisations dedicated to improving workplace safety, was overwhelmingly negative.

National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA): The NRCA highlighted the termination of CPWR’s Small Studies programme and the discontinuation of the National Occupational Research Agenda Falls Workgroup, both of which were instrumental in addressing construction safety hazards. The NRCA has also appealed to congressional leaders to restore NIOSH’s staff and funding.

International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA): The organisation commented that, “These unprecedented cuts 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 US industries.”

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM): ACOEM expressed deep concern that the reductions would negatively impact worker health and safety research, the residency pipeline, and the specialty of occupational and environmental medicine. They warned that the cuts could have life-threatening impacts on workers, including construction workers who may no longer be protected by approved respirators.

“Among many other critical things that NIOSH scientists do, there will be no independent reliable source of information on important issues including line speed and crippling back and hand injuries, the thousands of chemicals that cause cancer and reproductive damage, and the stress of work on heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, and mental health,” ACOEM said.

National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA): NWRA stated that the removal of NIOSH researchers and scientists would adversely affect worker safety, compliance assistance, and innovative research within the waste and recycling industry.

Michael Hoffman, NWRA president and CEO, said, “NIOSH’s Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) programs benefit American businesses by providing nonpunitive assistance in solving complex occupational safety problems. NIOSH has conducted numerous HHEs at disposal sites and e-waste recycling facilities, which have resulted in practical solutions that help businesses combat the high cost of occupational injuries and illnesses and keep the workforce safe.”

National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH): National COSH condemned the dismantling of NIOSH, stating that it destabilises a cornerstone of occupational safety and undercuts OSHA’s ability to set effective standards. Jessica Martinez, executive director of National COSH, said, “This is a tragedy. The gutting of NIOSH is a direct assault on workers’ safety, health, and lives. Leading to more death, more injury and less accountability.”

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Experts from Harvard Chan School warned that the cuts could slow research on preventing worker illness and injury and shrink the pipeline of experts in occupational health and safety. They highlighted the potential loss of NIOSH-supported research and educational activities at their institution.

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