DOL OIG releases list of current and planned audits for FY 2023

Washington — The adequacy of OSHA’s future pandemic planning and the effectiveness of the agency’s National Emphasis Program on COVID-19 may be evaluated this fiscal year by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

DOL OIG on Nov. 7 released an audit workplan for FY 2023, which runs through Sept. 30. The workplan outlines audits that are either in progress or planned. For OSHA, DOL OIG lists six audits, three of which are underway:

• COVID-19: OSHA’s Adequacy of Plans and Use of Funds Under the American Rescue Plan Act
• Use of Complainant Interviews in OSHA Complaint Inspections
• Rising Injury Rates Among Online Retailers’ Warehouse Workers

Another planned audit related to COVID-19 will focus on OSHA’s efforts to implement corrective actions that improve the Whistleblower Protection Program to ensure workers are protected from retaliation.

The workplan also features two audits concerning the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The first, which is underway, is aimed at determining if the pandemic affected MSHA’s ability to effectively conduct mandatory inspections, while a planned second one will assess the agency’s oversight of mine rescue response plans.

All eight audits are discretionary. In the workplan, Assistant Inspector General for Audit Carolyn R. Hantz states that discretionary audits are conducted using funds that remain after resources are committed to mandatory audits, adding that OIG determines which discretionary audits to conduct “based on risk and potential impact on DOL’s mission and goals.”