Itasca,
IL – The National
Safety Council today approved a new policy position statement in support of adequate, stable funding for the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and urges Congress and the
executive branch to adequately fund the agency’s programs.
Housed
within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NIOSH is the
primary federal agency responsible for conducting research and making
recommendations for work-related illness and injury prevention. NIOSH
information and research generate products and services designed to help avert
workplace illness, injury, disability and death.
Over the last several years,
NIOSH has received cuts to its funding and several specific NIOSH programs have
been targeted for elimination. The Council is especially concerned about the
proposed elimination of the Institute’s Education and Research Centers (ERCs)
and the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) Program.
“Given our shared mission to
take research to practice, NSC and NIOSH are frequent collaborators in
workplace safety,” said Janet Froetscher president and CEO of the National
Safety Council. “ERCs develop, educate and train occupational safety and health
professionals to reduce work-related injuries and prevent adverse workplace
conditions. The AgFF Program represents the only significant federal effort to
ensure safe working conditions for agricultural workers. For these reasons, NSC
supports continued funding of these programs to prevent increases in injury and
death.”
The President’s proposed FY 2013
budget recommended eliminating both of these programs. The government is
currently operating under a continuing resolution which funds NIOSH at FY 2012 funding
levels through March 27, 2013. Congress
is expected to take up a bill in the coming weeks to fund the government
through Sept. 30, 2013.
NSC
has a partnership agreement with NIOSH to use collaborative efforts and
expertise to advance the breadth and effectiveness of workplace safety. By adopting this policy position, the Council will be
able to work to ensure that NIOSH continues to have the resources necessary to
reduce workplace fatalities and injuries.
About the National Safety Council
Founded in 1913 and chartered
by Congress, the National Safety Council (nsc.org) is a nonprofit organization
whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in
homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education
and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses,
government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can
make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety and
safety beyond the workplace.