NIOSH, or the Nation Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, is an institute under the Center for Disease, Control, and Prevention (CDC), which is part of the the Department of Health and Human Services. NIOSH is responsible for research on occupational health and safety, and sets many standard of safety within the workpalce. Although the NIOSH headquarters are in Washington D.C., the Pittsburgh branch of NIOSH specializes in mines. NIOSH is responsible for issuing criteria documents, reports, and comments, and conducting research on such “materials” and “agents” as coal dust, silica, and diesel particulate matter, as well as on health issues such as noise and ergonomics.

Within mines, NIOSH has no authority to to enforce mining law (such as MSHA) but does have the right to enter the mine.