The Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is preparing to investigate OSHA’s response to an increase in severe injuries at warehouses and order fulfillment facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
OIG initiated an audit to determine what actions OSHA has taken to address these issues at facilities of online and other retailers.
This audit is in its early planning stages, but is expected to begin as soon as investigators receive specific documents from OSHA, according to a letter OIG issued to the agency.
Investigators have requested OSHA provide a variety of information, including:
- policies and procedures related to recording injuries
- examples of documentation for high-risk injuries
- a list of North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries with the highest injury rates for the period of Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2021
- copies of national and regional organization charts
- the draft Warehouse National Emphasis Program that is currently in development
- a list of NAICS industry codes focusing on injuries occurring in warehouse and distribution facilities for online and brick-and-mortar organizations
- all federal and state plan inspections for the period of Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2021, and
- data on all NAICS industries that fall under warehouses and distribution centers, detailing all the complaints OSHA received during the period of Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2021.
