Image: The Alice Hamilton laboratory building in Cincinnati, Ohio. Credited to Getty Images and JHVEPhoto.

Editor’s note: On April 1, more than 92 percent of NIOSH staff received reduction-in-force (RIF) notices, with many placed on immediate administrative leave. A second RIF on May 2 laid off almost everyone else at the agency. The Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) program was one of the many NIOSH functions that were eliminated.

It was early fall 2010. I had just moved to Cincinnati after finishing my PhD and postdoc in occupational health and safety, and I was going to start my dream job at an agency whose sole mission was to care for the health and safety of workers. I was nervous and exhilarated at the same time.

After going through security, I entered the building where I would work. A few steps into the main corridor, I saw a plaque explaining I was at the Alice Hamilton laboratory building. I got goosebumps. The agency and this building were a testament to Dr. Hamilton's long, dedicated, productive career, which profoundly impacted the promulgation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 and the creation of NIOSH. Dr. Hamilton was already an inspiration to me and remains so to this day.

I couldn't believe I was an industrial hygienist at the NIOSH HHE Program. I felt proud to be part of the agency's core mission of responding to health hazard requests from workers, employers, and worker representatives. Others at NIOSH dedicated their lives to research and education in occupational health and safety. It was refreshing to be with a talented group of mission-oriented professionals who genuinely cared for the health and safety of workers.

During my time at NIOSH, I contributed to numerous projects. Providing technical assistance to other federal agencies such as OSHA, MSHA, the General Services Administration (GSA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was routine for us, as none of them could solve what NIOSH could. One example was a project where we helped FDA inspectors at dairy plants with recommendations on best practices for safely inspecting tanks and vessels; these confined spaces can pose life-threatening risks. I also collaborated with several health departments on investigations aimed at reducing workplace lead exposures in cases where children were found to be lead poisoned due to a parent’s occupation. NIOSH provided unique occupational guidance that went well beyond regulation to tackle such complex, sensitive, and important topics.

Workplaces are complicated environments. Projects could turn out to be like forensic investigations. We felt like workplace detectives. When trying to answer health questions, the mysteries we faced could only be solved by a mixture of science, professional judgment, and teamwork with the facilities being investigated.

Although I had a PhD when I went to work for NIOSH, what I learned in my five years there was far more than could ever be found in books alone. Projects required expertise from, at a minimum, occupational physicians and industrial hygienists. Depending on the puzzle we had to solve, I could draw from all other practitioners around the agency who were ready to help, including experts in chemistry, epidemiology, engineering, nursing, veterinary sciences, psychology, communication, and social sciences.

Some exciting projects I led while at NIOSH included helping protect workers in new industries, such as the electronics recycling industry, or industries using new products, such as safer dry cleaners or aircraft paint strippers. Who knew that a new process, like recycling old TVs, or new products in a process, such as a safer dry-cleaning solvent, could bring unintended challenges?

I always joked that the HHE program would make for a fantastic TV show. I never imagined that I would see this national treasure, which touched and saved so many lives, including mine, be decimated overnight.

It feels like a nightmare. My hope is to see it come to life again—and not just on a television screen. The health and safety of all our jobs depend on it.

More information about how to participate in AIHA’s campaign to restore critical occupational health programs is available on the AIHA website. Visit VoterVoice for additional ideas about local advocacy.