The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered the digital and physical destruction of 18 publications on workplace safety practices, according to an internal February 7 email obtained by Popular Information. The email says the publications have been removed from the OSHA website and tells staff that any physical copies should be "disposed of or recycled."

The purge appears to be part of the Trump administration's effort to terminate any activities associated with "diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility," or DEIA. The email advises OSHA staff that "[i]f you have wallet cards that include language, or can be interpreted, on DEIA or gender ideology, please dispose of them as well."

Popular Information has obtained archived versions of most of the deleted publications. Almost all of them are not associated with DEIA topics but appear to have been targeted because they include a DEIA-related keyword used in a completely different context.

For example, one of the purged publications is "OSHA Best Practices for Protecting EMS Responders During Treatment and Transport of Victims of Hazardous Substance Releases." Popular Information was able to obtain an archived version of the publication through the Internet Archive. The 104-page document — a collaboration between dozens of government agencies and NGOs — was published in 2009 to detail the steps "employers need to take to protect their EMS responders from becoming additional victims while on the front line of medical response." DEIA issues are not discussed.

On page 94 of the publication, however, the words "diversity" and "diverse" are used in a context that has nothing to do with race or gender. The publication notes there is a "diversity of state-specific certification, training, and regulatory requirements" for "EMS agencies" and "diverse conditions under which EMS responders could work." Similarly, on page 96, the publication notes, "EMS responders are a diverse group" and "risks vary with their primary and secondary roles."

"Guidelines for Nursing Homes: Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders," is a 44-page publication released in 2009. It provides "recommendations for nursing home employers to help reduce the number and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in their facilities." It has nothing to do with DEIA. On page 10, however, it notes that "development of MSDs may be related to genetic causes, gender, age, and other factors." The single use of the word "gender" appears to have flagged the publication for deletion and destruction.

Another purged publication, "Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard," contains the sentence, "[t]he new computer software reflects the concept of government leadership through collaboration with diverse technical organizations." It has nothing to do with DEIA.

Only one of the 18 publications, "Restroom Access for Transgender Workers, Best Practices," appears to have anything to do with DEIA issues. That publication details federal and state legal precedent that recognizes "the core principle that employees should be allowed to use the restrooms that correspond to their gender identity." All of the targeted publications, however, include a keyword related to diversity or gender.

OSHA did not respond to a request for comment.

DOGE's crude anti-DEI game plan

The bungled purge of OSHA publications is part of a larger effort to eliminate "DEIA" from the federal government. The Washington Post obtained a document produced by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which outlines the game plan. Phase 1 of the plan involves forcing agencies to "[t]ake down all outward facing media (websites, social media accounts)" related to DEIA.

The federal government produces an immense amount of publicly available information, and it would be impossible for Musk's small team to review it all. It appears that publications at OSHA were identified by a keyword search that flagged information that has nothing to do with DEIA.

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Last week, Popular Information reported on a similar issue at the National Security Agency (NSA)." The NSA was executing a "Big Delete" of websites and internal network content that contained any of 27 banned words, including "privilege," "bias," and "inclusion." An internal NSA email obtained by Popular Information revealed that the dragnet is taking down "mission-related" work. An NSA source told Popular Information that the process was "very chaotic," but was plowing ahead anyway.

A Washington Post analysis published on January 31 found that words like diversity, equity, and inclusion were removed at least 231 times from the websites of federal agencies. A page on the Department of the Interior’s website that boasted of its museums' “diverse collections,” removed the word “diverse.”

As part of the broader anti-DEIA plan, many federal employees that DOGE linked to DEIA activities have been fired or placed on administrative leave. According to the plan obtained by the Washington Post, in the next phase, which starts February 19, an even broader group of federal employees will be targeted.