The Trump Administration is reversing its deep staffing cuts to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), reinstating hundreds of employees whose work underpins U.S. workplace health and safety.
Employees who had received layoff notices were informed those notices were “hereby revoked,” allowing life‑saving research to continue.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed the reversal in an email Tuesday.
This is welcome news for workers, employers, and manufacturers alike—and it did not happen by accident.
Why NIOSH Matters
NIOSH conducts or funds most of the research into U.S. workplace health and safety, including:
- Evaluating risks of new and emerging chemicals
- Testing and certifying the effectiveness of N95 and other respirators
- Supporting protections for 50 million American workers
- Advancing respiratory protection for coal miners and warfighters
Simply put: without NIOSH, the nation’s worker safety infrastructure weakens.
Why the Administration Reversed Course
Several factors converged to make the staffing cuts untenable:
- Early decisions were made. As stakeholders—including leaders in the safety and health industry—engaged and shared information, the agency’s critical role and broad support across industry and Congress became evident.
- Congress is acting. Lawmakers are poised to approve the FY26 funding bill, which fully funds NIOSH, signaling bipartisan frustration with unspent appropriations.
- Core worker groups are affected. NIOSH supports constituencies central to the Administration’s priorities, including the nearly 50 million workers in the US who rely on respiratory protection.
In short, eliminating NIOSH became politically costly—and practically indefensible.
ISEA’s Role: Swift, Strategic, and Sustained
ISEA, its partners (especially through the Workplace EHS Coalition) and its members acted immediately when NIOSH was DOGE’d in April 2025.
Rapid Response
- April 8, 2025: ISEA played a lead role in developing and delivering a letter to Congress and the Administration demanding the immediate reversal of NIOSH cuts.
- The letter carried 460 cosigners, demonstrating broad, organized support across industry and stakeholders.
Relentless Advocacy
Throughout 2025, ISEA’s lobbying efforts:
- Restored the NIOSH Respirator Approval Program (RAP) on May 15, 2025
- Prevented severe operational and financial impacts on ISEA member companies
- Persuaded both the House and Senate to recommend $23 million for NIOSH’s Personal Protective Technology account in FY26—funding levels that would have been significantly lower without ISEA’s engagement
These wins protected both public health and the integrity of the respirator approval system.
NIOSH’s #1 Friend
NIOSH has many allies, and ISEA has been among its most consistent and effective champions.
Support has also come from key congressional leaders, including Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R‑WV), who plays a critical role in setting the HHS budget and understands NIOSH’s value to worker safety and industry, and Rep. Summer Lee (D‑PA), whose district includes Pittsburgh and the NPPTL campus. Rep. Lee has been an active advocate for NIOSH employees and the agency’s mission, and ISEA has engaged directly with both offices to underscore NIOSH’s importance to worker safety, public health, and the regional economy.
ISEA leadership continues to engage directly with NIOSH, including a January 15 visit to NPPTL in Pittsburgh to better understand what reinstated staffing means for the future of respiratory protection programs.
Will This Victory Stick?
The outlook is positive—but not guaranteed.
Reasons for confidence:
- NIOSH has too many supporters to make dismantling it worth the Administration’s time or political capital
- Eliminating NIOSH offers no clear wins for the White House
Reasons for vigilance:
- The Administration remains committed to trimming federal spending
- NPPTL and the Respirator Approval Program will continue to face scrutiny
ISEA’s advocacy remains essential to ensure these programs stay funded, staffed, and effective.
Bottom Line
The reinstatement of furloughed NIOSH employees is a clear example of what coordinated, informed advocacy can achieve.
ISEA did not wait. We led, we mobilized, and we delivered results—for workers and those who support them.
And we are not done.
