HHS Reinstates 100 National Workplace Safety Workers Mostly West Virginia

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reversed some of its planned layoffs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), reinstating approximately 328 employees following significant pushback from lawmakers, unions, and a federal lawsuit. These reinstated workers are primarily based in Morgantown, West Virginia, and Cincinnati, and include staff involved in critical programs addressing workplace hazards such as respiratory health in coal miners and the certification of protective equipment. The layoffs had initially impacted over 90% of NIOSH's workforce, raising concerns about the agency's ability to protect workers across various industries. Legal actions, including a class-action lawsuit filed by a coal miner, resulted in a federal judge ordering HHS to restore personnel in NIOSH's Respiratory Health Division. While some jobs have been restored permanently, advocates and agency officials stress that these steps are insufficient to fully restore NIOSH's capacity to safeguard American workers. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and federal unions have played key roles in lobbying for these reversals, emphasizing the importance of sustaining occupational health research and services.