890 - What's Happening to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)?

May 5, 2025

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About this episode:

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services with a mission to protect the nation’s workforce from occupational hazards and illnesses. Their work includes setting policy and best practices around safety standards for things like exposure to toxic chemicals, firearms in the workplace, and even protecting workers’ data. NIOSH is among the many Centers that suffered personnel and funding cuts under HHS’s recent restructuring. In this episode: a look at NIOSH’s work and how the cuts may impact worker safety—particularly at a time when there is great interest in leveling up the manufacturing industry in the U.S.

Guest:

Ram Ramachandran is the director of the Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health.

Cass Crifasi is the director of Occupational Injury Epidemiology and Prevention Program at the Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

American workers deserve better than to lose their safety watchdogs—The Hill (Opinion)
The CDC’s critical occupational safety institute has been virtually wiped out—STAT

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