HFES Supports Re-establishment of NIOSH’s Important Mission
Posted April 04, 2025
Working Americans will be appreciably hurt by recent cuts to NIOSH. Approximately 85% of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) workforce has been notified of lay-offs along with a loss of the vast majority of the work they perform or oversee.
NIOSH plays a critical role in protecting American workers. Since its establishment in 1970, the number of workers killed per year has decreased by more than 70% according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. It provides critical research and recommendations for reducing workplace deaths and injuries due to exposure to hazardous materials and hazardous work settings. These findings both reduce unnecessary worker injuries and reduce costs for businesses by reducing workman’s compensation claims.
For example, back injuries caused by over-exertion (primarily associated with lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing and pulling materials of different types) has been identified by the insurance industry in the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index as the number one cause of disabling workers compensation claims for the past 20 years, resulting in some $14 Billion in costs per year.[1] The National Safety Council estimates that preventable injuries cost employers about $1,100 per employee in 2018,[2] and that the average cost of a Workers’ Compensation case was $40,050.[2] Occupational injuries and illnesses impact both workers’ lives and companies' bottom-line.
NIOSH has provided the basic research for reducing the unnecessary deaths and injuries of America’s workforce as well as the training of America’s ergonomics workforce through research and training programs at universities across the country. Ergonomic workplace design has been shown to be highly effective in reducing workplace injuries by targeting specific risks where work demand exceeds worker capacity. [3-5] When ergonomic interventions are made, it generally results in a positive ROI by reducing worker costs and by creating productivity gains of as much as 140%.[6-9]
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society strongly supports the need to retain the important skill base at NIOSH by rescinding the planned layoffs of personnel and loss of critical ergonomics research and training programs. Please act to maintain this agency that is critical for America’s workforce and its future competitiveness.
About the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES)
With more than 3,000 members, HFES is the world’s largest nonprofit association for human factors and ergonomics professionals. HFES members include psychologists, engineers, and other professionals who have a common interest in working to develop technology, tools, environments, and systems for safe and effective human use, including in challenging conditions.
References
- Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (2020) 2020 Workplace Safety Index : The top 10 causes of disabling injuries. https://viewpoint.libertymutualgroup.com/article/2020-workplace-safety-index-the-top-10-causes-of-disabling-injuries/
- National Safety Council (2018) Injury Facts. Downloaded from https://injuryfacts.nsc.org, March 19, 2020.
- Fujishiro, K., Weaver, J. L., Heaney, C. A., Hamrick, C. A., & Marras, W. S. (2005). The effect of ergonomic interventions in healthcare facilities on musculoskeletal disorders. American journal of industrial medicine, 48(5), 338-347.
- Rivilis, I., Van Eerd, D., Cullen, K., Cole, D.C., Irvin, E., Tyson, J., and Mahood, Q. (2008). Effectiveness of participatory ergonomic interventions on health outcomes: a systematic review. Applied Ergonomics, 39(3), 342-358.
- Tompa, E., Dolinschi, R., De Oliveira, C., Amick, B. C., & Irvin, E. (2010). A systematic review of workplace ergonomic interventions with economic analyses. Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 20(2), 220-234
- Garrett, G., Benden, M., Mehta, R., Pickens, A., Peres, S. C., & Zhao, H. (2016). Call center productivity over 6 months following a standing desk intervention. IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors, 4(2-3), 188-195.
- Loo, H. S., & Yeow, P. H. (2015). Effects of two ergonomic improvements in brazing coils of air-handler units. Applied ergonomics, 51, 383-391.
- Motamedzade, M., Shahnavaz, H., Kazemnejad, A., Azar, A., & Karimi, H. (2003). The impact of participatory ergonomics on working conditions, quality, and productivity. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 9(2), 135-147.
- Larson, N. L. (2014). Business advantages of ergonomics in industry. Doctoral dissertation, TU Delft, Delft, The Netherlands