OSHA enforcement was dramatically scaled back through budget cuts, inspector reductions, and DOGE-driven staff cuts. OSHA was already critically understaffed — it would take approximately 186 years to inspect every workplace once at prior staffing levels. Trump's cuts made this worse.
The most consequential action: killing the proposed heat stress rule that would have required employers to provide water, shade, rest breaks, and heat illness prevention plans for outdoor and indoor workers in high-heat environments. Heat kills more workers than any other weather event — 40-50 deaths per year officially, likely far more unreported. Agricultural workers, construction workers, warehouse workers, and delivery drivers are most affected — disproportionately Latino and immigrant workers.
The Biden-era workplace injury reporting rule was also rolled back — employers with 100+ employees would have had to submit detailed injury data publicly, letting workers assess employer safety records before accepting jobs. Now that transparency is gone.
Pending rulemakings on workplace violence prevention and infectious disease standards were halted. Combined wage/hour and safety penalties dropped 66%. Wage/hour enforcement cases declined 97%. Trump's budget proposed cutting 12% of OSHA enforcement staff (Congress later rejected the specific OSHA cuts).
Approximately 5,000+ workers die from workplace injuries each year and 2.5 million suffer serious injuries or illnesses (2024 BLS data) or illnesses. Weaker enforcement means more of both.