TILE 2: YOUR SAFETY
Public safety is part of the role of government, because individual people can’t work effectively on the bigger picture of risks that affect whole communities, states, and nations. Whatever you believe about the role of government in regulation, it’s important to be aware of all the things the American federal government, our government for and by the people, has been doing to protect your safety, and the safety of your family and your community. And to understand what might happen if these protections go away.
When the government is doing its job well, it runs in the background, and we might not even know it’s there working for the good of its citizens.
Be aware: The Trump administration doesn’t care about your safety. The agenda of de-regulation and the destruction of the administrative state could affect your life in ways you might not be aware of until something happens.
SLASHING WORKER SAFETY PROTECTIONS: The Trump administration has drastically cut funding for NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH is a federal agency that lives within the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Yes, that does sound like some deep layers of government bureaucracy. But let’s look more closely at what NIOSH does for you.
If you’ve ever used safety glasses, dust masks, respirators, or other personal protective equipment for your job, or for a home construction or repair project, you might have noticed a NIOSH label on these items. If you are a miner or firefighter, if you work on a farm or a naval ship, or any other profession where you might be exposed to dust, smoke, mold, airborne viruses, or other hazards, you probably rely on equipment that NIOSH has researched and certified to make sure it really works to protect you while doing your job.
When you put on safety glasses while doing a construction project, NIOSH did the work behind the scenes so that you can really be sure they are going to protect your eyes. When a firefighter wears a respirator, NIOSH made sure it really works to keep smoke out of their lungs. Some things- like your eyes and lungs- are too important to entrust to products that have not been tested and certified. If you buy a can opener that doesn’t work well or a snack that doesn’t taste good, that’s annoying, But you maybe give it a bad online review and just don’t buy it again. If your PPE doesn’t work while you are fighting a fire, applying pesticides, evacuating people from a burning ship, or mining underground, there might not be a second chance to switch to a better product next time. It has to work right every time, and NIOSH is what helps make that happen.
For example, here is a report of the much-needed work that the public servants at NIOSH have done behind the scenes to make sure that emergency escape breathing devices (EEBDs) really protect naval workers.
In April 2025, the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to NIOSH, eliminating at least two-thirds of their employees (some sources list 80% or 90% reductions). Thanks to a lawsuit by coal miner Henry Wiley, NIOSH workers from the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program were restored. This program provides screenings and does research to help protect coal miners from black lung disease.
Learn more about the cuts to NIOSH from: CNN, the International Safety Equipment Association, the University of Michigan, Harvard, the Center for Law and Social Policy,
Learn more about the coal miners’ lawsuit from: NPR, the Kentucky Lantern
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/14/nx-s1-5398092/niosh-reinstates-occupational-health-workers
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY: Everyone has heard of recalls when some appliance, toy, or other product is found to have a safety concern. These recalls come from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, which exists to make sure your blender doesn’t burn you, your cooler handle doesn’t cut off your fingertips, your bed doesn’t collapse while you’re sleeping in it, and your baby swing doesn’t strangle your child.
Democrats ousted from Consumer Product Safety Commission – important to be nonpartisan:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/23/supreme-court-consumer-product-safety-firings-00472292
AIR TRAVEL:
https://apnews.com/article/faa-firings-trump-doge-safety-airlines-27390c6a7aac58063652302df5a243d3
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-mass-firings-faa-air-traffic-control-2032269
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/faa-firings-aviation-safety-experts-00205160