Save NIOSH

We Need Your Help!

On April 1st, the NIOSH workforce was fired, ending 50 years of infrastructure and programs that reduced and prevented workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established NIOSH to focus on the study of worker safety and health. Its mission is to develop new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and to transfer that knowledge into the workplace.

NIOSH’s presence and investments are not only impactful, they are essential, and we rely on them. NIOSH’s budget is only about $2.20 per worker annually ($338 Million), while occupational injuries and illnesses cost the U.S. economy approximately $250 billion each year. Even small improvements in workplace safety generate substantial savings in healthcare costs, workers’ compensation, and lost productivity (Leigh, 2011).

What You Can Do - TAKE ACTION!

Call and email your legislators. Visit congress.org/members and enter your address to find your legislator’s contact information. Urge them to express strong support for reinstating NIOSH, emphasizing its critical role in safeguarding the health and safety of American workers, sustaining the productivity of U.S. businesses, and promoting the overall health of the U.S. economy.

Call the members of the Senate HELP Committee who are planning a Congressional Hearing on April 10th to address the restructuring of HHS.

Encourage organizations and stakeholders – including unions, professional societies, businesses, and community partners – to engage with their legislative contacts.

Raise awareness on social media by sharing posts from colleagues and trusted sources. You can also create your own posts to encourage further amplification. Follow MCOHS on Facebook and Bluesky.

THE NIOSH CENTERS SERVING OUR MIDWEST REGION

In the Midwest there are five NIOSH funded centers dedicated to providing occupational health research, education and training to employers and employees.

Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (University of Minnesota)
Heartland Center for Occupational Health & Safety (University of Iowa)
Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest (University of Iowa)
Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (University of Minnesota, the National Farm Medicine Center of the Marshfield Clinic with the Migrant Clinicians Network, and the Minnesota Department of Health)
Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (University of Iowa)