Trump Budget Cuts Threaten Safety Training for America's Most Dangerous Jobs

By the time Robbie Roberge spotted the fire consuming his boat’s galley last August, he had only minutes to make a life-or-death decision. The veteran commercial fisherman from South Portland, Maine, swiftly rallied his crew, deployed safety suits, and launched a life raft before making a desperate mayday call. The crew’s survival, more than 100 miles offshore, was a testament to the emergency preparedness skills Roberge had gained just months prior at a safety workshop run by Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS).

Determined not to take any chances, Roberge recently interrupted another fishing trip to bring his six-man crew to another FPSS training in Newburyport, Massachusetts. “I have years of experience, but not dealing with emergencies,” he explained. His commitment underscores the importance of rigorous safety training for those facing the perils of America’s most hazardous professions—fishermen, loggers, farmers, and others whose livelihoods can be upended by a single unforeseen incident.

However, such lifesaving training programs now face an uncertain future. Sweeping federal budget cuts, championed by President Donald Trump as part of an effort to reduce the size and cost of government, are poised to drastically curtail or even eliminate these initiatives as soon as July. Interviews with health and safety experts and nonprofit leaders reveal mounting alarm that hundreds, if not thousands, of workers could be left without access to critical skills that can mean the difference between life and death on the job.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)—a central pillar in promoting workplace safety and accident prevention—has been hit particularly hard. On April 1, the Trump administration terminated about 875 of NIOSH’s approximately 1,000 employees, gutting technical support and expertise for dozens of regional Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health. Although around 300 staff were later reinstated, key offices overseeing these centers were not among them.

With funding cycles set to end in the coming months, staff at seven centers reported preparing to wind down operations. At the University of Florida’s Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, director J. Glenn Morris confirmed efforts to halt projects ahead of a September 29 grant cutoff. The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, which offers fishermen safety training, warns its funding may dry up as early as July 1. Similarly, FPSS anticipates significant cutbacks when its own federal support ends in September.

The implications are dire. "The return on investment of the government is huge," says John Roberts, an FPSS instructor and former Coast Guard search and rescue veteran. He argues that spending on preventative training ultimately saves far more money—and lives—than costly, high-risk rescue operations for unprepared crews. Without continued support, the risks and the burden on federal rescue agencies are likely to increase.

Despite mounting concern from frontline organizations and safety professionals, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services have attempted to reassure the public. One spokesperson stated, “The work will continue. HHS supports America’s farmers, fishermen, and logging workers.” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. defended the cuts as necessary to “reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency,” and outlined plans to merge NIOSH into a new Administration for a Healthy America.

As deadlines loom and federal funding for key programs runs out, workers like Roberge find themselves caught between longstanding occupational dangers and an increasingly uncertain safety net. For many, the stakes could not be higher.