Workplace Safety Update: NIOSH Funding Restored and OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Deadlines Pushed Back – What Employers Need to Know

Employers should be aware of two separate developments in the workplace safety space that occurred last week – and prepare for some anticipated changes. On January 14, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was rescinding layoffs for employees who recently worked at a workplace safety agency within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The next day, OSHA published a final rule extending deadlines for its updated Hazard Communication Standards. This Insight outlines both of these major updates and offers employers a game plan for responding to both changes.

NIOSH Funding Restored

The first development saw a reversal in funding cuts that you’ll want to know about.

What is NIOSH?

Unlike OSHA, which operates within the Department of Labor, NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

• In its research and advisory capacity, NIOSH conducts scientific studies on occupational safety and health, develops recommended exposure limits for airborne contaminants, and performs on-site health hazard evaluations across all industries.
• It also develops evidence-based criteria and recommendations that OSHA and other regulatory agencies may use when establishing safety standards, and funds external research through grants to support the development and testing of safety-related products.
• NIOSH also leads and administers major national initiatives, including the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) and programs such as the World Trade Center Health Program for 9/11 responders and survivors.
• In addition, the agency also oversees several advisory bodies, including the Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory Committee (MSHRAC) and the NIOSH Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC).
• NIOSH’s work is supported through multiple specialized research centers, such as the Center for Direct Reading and Sensor Technologies, the Center for Firefighter Safety and Well-Being, the Center for Motor Vehicle Safety, the Center for Occupational Robotics Research, and the Nanotechnology Research Center.

2025 Staffing and Budget Cuts

In April 2025, HHS issued reduction-in-force notices to approximately 1,000 of NIOSH’s roughly 1,300 employees. These layoffs were part of a broader government-wide workforce reduction affecting about 10,000 of the 20,000 HHS employees and approximately 120,000 federal workers overall.

About a month later, several hundred NIOSH employees were reinstated. At the same time, NIOSH experienced an estimated 80% budget reduction, which regulatory observers characterized as effectively dismantling most of the agency’s programs.

Government officials and safety advocacy groups warned that these cuts would severely disrupt ongoing research, halt critical programs, and increase the risk of workplace injuries and illnesses due to the loss of scientific guidance and regulatory advisement.

Government Reversal

Last week, the federal government announced it was reversing the 2025 staffing reductions and rescinding all layoff notices issued to NIOSH scientists, engineers, and public health professionals. This decision could result in the reinstatement of hundreds of employees and the restoration of key programs such as respiratory protection testing, mine safety research, and health screenings for coal miners.

The current expectations are that the Fiscal Year 2026 funding bill will fully fund NIOSH. This development will be viewed as evidence of bipartisan congressional support for NIOSH’s continued research and advisory role in advancing workplace health and safety.

What is the Impact on Employers?

Though NIOSH doesn’t enforce regulations, its role in crafting and assisting agencies in promulgating workplace safety and health regulations affects all employers and cannot be understated. The reinstatement of NIOSH personnel and the re-funding of NIOSH programs will have a significant impact on both current and proposed regulations.

We’ll see the agency once again take part in the regulatory notice and comment period, providing scientific expertise in the form of formal comments on proposed regulations. It will also provide support to various agencies (including OSHA) during the rulemaking process. NIOSH’s research will also have continued impacts on current workplace practices and broader industry standards regarding evolving workplace exposure limits and PPE standards.

Extension of Hazard Communication Standard Compliance Deadline

Last week also saw OSHA issue a final rule updating its Hazard Communication Standard (Haz Com Standard) to improve the communication of chemical hazards to workers and align the standard with more current international benchmarks.

What Happened?

The most recent action, published in the Federal Register on January 15, extends compliance deadlines by four months for key provisions of this updated standard. The agency said the  extension will allow time for OSHA to publish the necessary guidance materials as well as provide time for the regulated community to review those materials before the provisions take effect.

Background and Purpose

Originally published on May 20, 2024, and effective July 19, 2024, the updated Haz Com Standard revises OSHA’s longstanding hazard communication requirements to align with the seventh revision of the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The GHS provides a standardized approach for classifying chemicals and communicating hazard information through labels and safety data sheets. OSHA’s 2024 update builds on the 2012 Haz Com Standard by incorporating more modern hazard criteria and addressing implementation issues that have arisen under the older standard.

What are the Key Revisions in the Standard?

The updated Haz Com Standard does not alter the fundamental structure of hazard communication but includes several targeted improvements. This includes an updated criteria for physical and health hazards, more detailed label requirements, amendments to Safety Data Sheets, and updated definitions to reflect modern chemical hazard technology.

Extended Compliance Dates

The January 15 final rule does not amend the content of the 2024 Haz Com Standard itself, but extends the deadlines by four months to give employers and regulated entities, allowing additional time to prepare:

• Substances: Deadline to comply with updated provisions has been extended to May 19; Workplace labeling, training, and hazard communication programs for substances has been extended to November 20.
• Evaluating Mixtures: Deadline to comply with the updated provisions has been extended to November 19, 2027; Workplace training and program updates for mixtures has been extended to May 19, 2028.

What is the Impact on Employers?

Companies that manufacture, import, distribute, or use hazardous chemicals must evaluate their hazard communication programs, update chemical classifications, revise labels and SDSs, and train employees according to the new criteria. The extended deadlines gives employers some breathing room and more time to finish these tasks and review OSHA’s guidance materials as they become available.

Conclusion

If you have any questions about NIOSH or compliance with OSHA’s new standards, contact the authors of this Insight, your Fisher Phillips attorney, or any attorney on our Workplace Safety team. Make sure you are subscribed to Fisher Phillips’ Insight System to get the most up-to-date information.