Ooooh, dear. That doesn't sound good.
I know they're hurting but that's a dangerous step. I don't know the person concerned but heard only good things about him, "The most effective safety manager NJE ever had" being one of them.
Has someone else been appointed to take up the role or has it just been dissolved? As barista said, with morale down and people's minds elsewhere I'd be paying more attention to safety, not less.