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Audit Reports

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Feb
04
2022
Report Number:
21-118-R22
Report Type:
Audit Reports
Category: Facilities

Ventilation and Filtration in Postal Service Facilities

Background

The U.S. Postal Service owns over 8,400 facilities where it provides services, which includes maintaining proper ventilation and filtration in these facilities to ensure they are clean and safe. Ventilation and filtration are often provided by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in a facility. Industry standards recommend minimum ventilation rates and inspection and maintenance activities.

What We Did

Our objective was to assess Postal Service efforts to ensure proper ventilation and filtration in facilities and identify opportunities for improvement. For this audit, we statistically sampled 193 Postal Service-owned retail and delivery facilities with an interior size ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 square feet from a universe of 6,709 facilities.

Report Recommendations

# Recommendation Status Value Initial Management Response USPS Proposed Resolution OIG Response Final Resolution
1

Review and revise the communication structure to send updated ventilation and filtration related guidance, recommendations, and responsibilities directly to postmasters.

Closed $0 Agree
2

Implement an oversight process to manage and monitor the maintenance of ventilation and filtration equipment.

Closed $0 Agree
3

Update and maintain a current inventory of ventilation and filtration equipment.

Closed $0 Agree