The Postal Service IG has again raised concerns about the physical condition of facilities raising potential hazards to both employees and customers–increasingly an issue in recent years for the cash-strapped agency.
The latest report, the third in a series, examined 31 facilities in the Northeast and found that 16 had safety and security issues; 17 had maintenance issues; 23 had potential OSHA violations; 24 did not maintain a customer complaint log or monitor how promptly complaints are resolved; and 29 did not display workplace environment posters such as those informing employees what to do if injured on the job.
“Conditions related to building safety, security, and maintenance occurred because of competing priorities and local management’s failure to focus on cleaning and general maintenance and repairs,” the report said.
The OSHA violations potentially would subject the facilities to $10.6 million in fines, and the conditions also create the risk of injuries to employees and customers with the potential costs of injury compensation claims, loss of work and productivity, and lawsuits, it said. Other impacts include poor employee morale and increased turnover, and reduced brand loyalty of customers.
