Today, the Workplace EHS Coalition—formerly known as the Intersociety Forum and proudly including IHMM among its members—issued a powerful call to action to the President and Congressional appropriators. The message was clear: America’s commitment to worker safety and health must be at the center of the FY2026 Federal Budget.

The Coalition, which unites leading organizations such as AIHA, NSC, ASSP, and IHMM, stands for a simple but transformative truth: safety is not a cost—it’s a strategic advantage. Strong occupational safety and health practices fuel productivity, innovation, and global competitiveness, while safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of millions of workers.

Despite technological advances and regulatory improvements, injury and fatality rates have plateaued. The time for incremental change is over. The Coalition calls on business leaders and policymakers alike to adopt risk-based, prevention-focused safety systems that elevate both workplace well-being and economic resilience. When safety leads, businesses thrive—and so does America.

FY2026 Priorities for Worker Protection and EHS Leadership

  • Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) — Fund no less than the FY26 agency request (or at least FY25 enacted) to maintain adjudicatory capacity. Urge Senate action on Commissioner confirmations, bolster ALJ hiring, and mandate quarterly transparency reports on case backlogs and timeliness.

  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) — Maintain, at minimum, FY25 enacted levels to prevent cuts to enforcement, compliance assistance, whistleblower protections, and critical training grants.

  • National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) — Direct OSHA to convene NACOSH regularly, publish annual workplans, and prioritize guidance on heat stress, psychosocial health, protections for vulnerable workers, and whistleblower effectiveness.

  • National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) — Fund no less than FY25 enacted (or the higher Senate mark) to safeguard core research, respirator approval programs, and university-based ERCs advancing Total Worker Health®.

  • U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) — Reject elimination and fund at no less than FY25 levels to sustain investigations and implement life-saving recommendations. Require quarterly progress briefings on open cases and staffing.

The Workplace EHS Coalition letter is here.

 

IHMM’s Advocacy seeks to ensure that all people in society are able to have their voices heard on issues that are important to them. Our advocacy seeks to protect and promote our rights as citizens. Advocacy ensures that our views and wishes are genuinely considered when decisions are made about our lives. This communication—and those that have come before—reaffirms IHMM’s ongoing commitment to advancing national policies that strengthen workplace safety, environmental health, and professional excellence across all industries.