“Protecting OSHA protects workers. Slashing its budget is a dangerous mistake. Now is the time to invest more — not less — in the agency,” writes a prominent safety expert.
Every worker in America has a simple goal: to get home safely after their shift. Families across the country share the same hope — that their loved ones return from work without harm.
Worker safety shouldn’t be a partisan issue — it’s a core American value. Across decades, both lawmakers and the public have supported fair regulations, sound policies, and strong oversight to keep workers safe on the job.
That’s why the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) raised serious alarms over a recent legislative move that sought to dissolve the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Even if it was merely political theater, the mere suggestion undermines the importance of worker protections. It sends a troubling signal about how worker safety is being undervalued.
More recently, proposed budget cuts to OSHA have sparked equal concern. Some argue trimming the agency’s funding will help the economy. But in reality, neglecting safety leads to higher costs — financially and humanly.
OSHA, like any public agency, must strive for efficiency. But stripping away its resources only opens the door to more workplace injuries and fatalities — outcomes that are tragic for families and expensive for employers.
Since its founding in 1970, OSHA has helped transform workplace safety. According to the Economic Policy Institute, workplace deaths numbered around 14,000 that year. In contrast, by 2022, that figure had dropped to 5,486, even though the workforce had significantly grown, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Likewise, serious injuries requiring time off plummeted from 10.9 cases per 100 workers in 1972 to 2.7 per 100 workers today,” the BLS also noted. These improvements aren’t coincidental — they’re the direct result of targeted safety initiatives, regulations, and education led by OSHA.
Still, the work isn’t finished. In 2023, over 4,500 preventable deaths occurred in workplaces — including 1,029 fatalities in construction alone, as reported by the National Safety Council. That translates to more than a dozen deaths per day.
Additionally, more than 4 million workers suffered injuries that required medical attention. The ripple effects of these incidents are enormous, impacting not just families but also the broader economy.
The National Safety Council places the 2022 cost of workplace injuries at a staggering $167 billion. The financial toll of a single workplace fatality? An estimated $1.39 million. A single injury? Roughly $40,000.
These numbers reinforce a simple truth: Investing in safety is not just the right thing to do morally — it’s also the smart financial move.
Some critics claim that OSHA stifles business with red tape. But in practice, the agency often partners with employers to help them operate more safely and efficiently.
“OSHA inspections decrease workplace injuries by 9.4%, according to an agency study, and shrink worker compensation costs 26% (an average of $355,000 per job site).” These inspections, the study found, save American employers over $20 billion annually in reduced workers’ compensation costs alone.
Safety research is just as crucial as enforcement. That’s where the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) comes in. NIOSH conducts vital research and oversees programs like the Respirator Approval Program, which ensures that masks and respirators — from N95s to those used in mining — meet real-world safety standards.
But the future of this essential agency is under threat.
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services announced devastating cuts to NIOSH that would eliminate around 875 jobs — nearly two-thirds of its entire staff. Among those losing their positions are nearly 200 workers supporting key efforts like the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory — the only federal facility certifying respiratory protection.
“These cuts don’t just threaten jobs — they threaten lives.” With such a drastic reduction, the Respirator Approval Program may be halted, opening the door to unsafe or counterfeit protective equipment. Moreover, progress on next-gen PPE that could offer better protection and comfort would be stalled indefinitely.
Rather than dismantling these protections, now is the moment to bolster them. NIOSH has been a silent yet powerful force behind worker safety for decades. Its mission should be protected — not gutted.
ISEA is calling on Congress to boost OSHA’s funding to $655 million and fully restore NIOSH’s staffing and budget to $370 million. These are reasonable, strategic investments in a safer, healthier American workforce.
“The safety of American workers should never be a political football.” The people who build our infrastructure, stock our shelves, deliver our packages, and care for our sick deserve to do so in safe environments. Budget cuts and political posturing should never come at the cost of their well-being.
We must push back against any effort to undermine OSHA or weaken its mission. Lives are at stake. The moment to defend — and strengthen — worker protections is now.
Originally reported by Cam Mackey in Construction Dive.
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