February 21, 2025
3 read min
The health and security authority deleted “diversity” documents, but it was not about dei
Osha website that was removed to contain the word “diversity” had no connection with gender or racial diversity
Occupational safety and health administration (Osha), an arm of the Ministry of Labor, Washington DC
Climate Wire | A number of security documents containing the word “diversity” were removed by the website of the Ministry of Labor. But they were not the type of racial and gender diversity programs to which the Department of Government Efficiency aimed at.
Instead, they dealt with the diverse size and form of firefighters – a detail that helps them to fit properly in safety equipment such as ventilation masks. Another document that was pointed out to the different situations in which first aiders may work.
Their distance was prompted by President Donald Trump's executive order to terminate the federal diversity, equity, inclusion and accessible initiatives as well as the missions of the White House in order to no longer promote the “gender-specific ideology”.
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The Trump administration has searched for these terms in programs, grants and documents to trigger freezing for the financing of financial resources and to counteract discrimination against the breed, gender and disabilities of people.
Last month, the swaths of state websites were offline last month. This includes a guide for the occupational safety authority for occupational safety, an arm of the Ministry of Labor, about the access of toilets for transgender employees. The removed document quoted Osha's sanitary standard, according to which employers have to provide employees toilet facilities.
Access via the Internet Archive The 2015 guide finds that the OSHA has long interpreted that the standard means that “employers may not impose any inappropriate restrictions on the use of toilet facilities of the employees”. It is also explained that “bathroom restrictions can lead to employees using toilets completely during work, which can lead to potentially serious physical injuries or diseases.”
Other documents that have been removed are guidelines for first aiders if they treat and transport victims of chemical releases and guidelines for small companies about which personal protective equipment such as respiratory protection devices should use in different scenarios.
Osha did not respond to inquiries about comments. However, e -mails received from the popular information on the website show Osha Public Affairs who announce the agency's employees that the publications have been removed from the website and are not distributed from the Osha warehouse. The E -Mail from February 7th states: “If you have articles of paper, contain the language or interpret the language or to interpret the language or gender -specific ideology, please also dispose of it.”
The cleaning has attracted the attention of legislators. The Haus Democrats in the educational and staff committee wrote a letter to Vince Micone, reigning Labor secretary, to question their concerns last week.
“If the deletion of these documents on President Trump's executive commands in relation to context in which the words are used,” they wrote.
The distant guidelines for the treatment of victims of chemical exposure describe first aiders as a “diverse group”, whereby it is not race and ethnicity, but “the different conditions under which EMS -Responder could work”, such as full -time, part -time or as volunteers. “Your risks vary with their primary and secondary roles,” says the instructions, which is only accessible via the Internet archive.
Other distant documents provided guidelines for the proper adjustment of the respiratory protection devices for members of the health professions. It only mentions the gender to consider [adapt for] Unique work rate, mask and genders that can apply in a certain workplace. “
This document belongs to some that were released this week on the Osha website after the house democrats had expressed concerns.
Other documents – including those about first aiders and violence at the workplace in healthcare – remained offline from Thursday afternoon.
Reprinted by E&E news With permission from politico, LLC. Copyright 2025. E & E News offers essential news for energy and environmental professionals.