Lives at risk: Trump cuts slash safety funds for nation’s most dangerous work

More than a dozen workplace safety training centres across the United States could be forced to close by the end of the summer, as sweeping job cuts at a key federal health agency take effect under the Trump administration’s cost-cutting drive.The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which supports training and research for some of the country’s most hazardous jobs, has lost nearly 90% of its workforce. Out of around 1,000 employees, only about 125 were left after job cuts on April 1, according to union data seen by Reuters.Although 300 employees were rehired in May, the team managing the 12 Centres for Agricultural Safety and Health, which support fishing, farming, and logging workers, was not part of this. Because of this, several centres are getting ready to close as their funding runs out.Training programmes run by groups like the Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS) and the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association face potential shutdowns by July or September. These programmes have provided critical hands-on safety training to thousands of workers, including how to handle fires, administer first aid, deploy life rafts, and use emergency radio equipment.Without these federally funded courses, experts warn that more workers will be at risk and the burden on rescue services could increase.“The return on investment of the government is huge,” said John Roberts, a retired Coast Guard officer and FPSS safety instructor. “If they give us this money to do this training, it’s going to lessen how much money has to be spent to rescue the untrained.”The US department of health and human services, which oversees NIOSH, said in a statement, “The work will continue. HHS supports America’s farmers, fishmen, and logging workers.” Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr defended the staff reductions in March, citing the need to streamline bureaucracy. NIOSH is now set to be absorbed into a new body called the Administration for a Healthy America.The decision comes despite the fact that fishing, farming and logging remain the deadliest industries in the US. Combined, they represent a small portion of the national workforce but recorded a fatal injury rate of 24.4 per 100,000 workers in 2023, seven times the national average.Many of the affected workers operate in remote locations where access to emergency medical care can be delayed by hours. Over the years, the NIOSH-backed centres have helped reduce those risks through safety research, direct education, and public health outreach.In 2024 alone, the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety trained more than 5,600 workers. Other centres have introduced mobile health clinics, mental health support, and opioid overdose prevention in rural areas.But with grant funding set to expire between July and September, many of these initiatives are under threat. At the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety in Florida, staff have already begun closing research programmes and worker outreach efforts.“We’re shutting down the direct education to the workers, we’re shutting down the research,” said director J Glenn Morris.Although some industry groups offer private training, the cost remains a barrier for many. Without continued federal support, safety experts fear that many vulnerable workers will lose access to life-saving resources.