U.S. Department of the Interior's Occupational Safety and Health and Workers' Compensation Programs

OIG’s inspection of DOI’s safety and health and workers’ compensation programs noted that improvements have been made through the years since our 2008 audit but that more still needs to be done to ensure a safe work environment. Our review found deficiencies within DOI’s programs that, if corrected, could help create a healthier work environment for all.

 

Specifically, we found that DOI needs to more completely collect and analyze health, safety, and workers’ compensation information. Such information would help DOI more accurately determine the risks associated with specific job types, work locations, and job series. We found that slips, trips, falls, and strains due to lifting constituted the most frequently reported safety incidents. The next largest category is a miscellaneous category where incidents are not specifically identified, and are referred to in the database tracking system as either “null” or “unclassified.” This and other analysis caused us to question the integrity of DOI’s safety data.

 

Furthermore, issues of policy compliance exist with the Secretary of the Interior’s May 1992 guidance, which directed workers’ compensation costs to be identified at the lowest possible organization level in the Department (i.e., the regional or field office where the injury occurred). Currently, only two bureaus have implemented the policy, after which, both showed cost improvements.

 

We also found safety and health councils at the highest levels are not fulfilling their intended purpose. Reports are not timely; the program does not have sufficient authority and visibility; and no safety program exists to cover Office of the Secretary employees.

 

These and other potential opportunities for improvement led us to make eight recommendations to enhance the safety and health of DOI employees and the workers’ compensation programs.