Audit Report

This report reflects the findings of the Office of Inspector General at the time that the audit report was issued. More current information may be available as a result of the resolution of this audit by the Department of Labor program agency and the auditee. For further information concerning the resolution of this report's findings, please contact the program agency.

Report Number:  17-98-005-10-001

Issue Date:  August 19, 1998

The OIG initiated an audit of OSHA procurement to determine whether:   1) OSHA procurement activities were being conducted in accordance with Federal and DOL policies and procedures; 2) procured products and services were worth the cost and were being used by OSHA, and 3) anonymous complaints to the OIG alleging improprieties in OSHA procurement activities had merit.

Our audit found that, in general, OSHA procurement activities complied with requirements and that the products and services received were worth the cost and were used by OSHA.  Moreover, the improprieties alleged in anonymous complaints to the OIG could not be substantiated.  However, we did observe several minor deficiencies in both OSHA and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM). Among these were the following:

• contract task orders with statements of work outside of the statement of work in the master contract;

• contractors and vendors starting work prior to the preparation of a purchase order or the approval of purchase orders or task orders by the Contracting Officer;

• incomplete purchase order files in OSHA's Division of Financial Control and Contract Coordination;

• differences between DOL tracking systems concerning the amount of total Federal dollars obligated in OSHA contracts; and

• the lack of the timely closeout of OSHA contracts by the Department.

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