Background

The San Francisco Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) is in the Western Region. The Postal Service has over 200 mail processing facilities nationwide. The Postal Service is required to maintain a safe and healthy environment for both employees and customers in accordance with its internal policies and procedures and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety laws.

The Postal Service plans to consolidate 18 mail processing facilities as part of its 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence. The San Francisco P&DC is one of the facilities impacted by this plan. Mail processing operations at the North Bay P&DC in Petaluma, CA, will be consolidated with the San Francisco and Oakland, CA, P&DCs, generating an influx of people and machinery.

Our objective was to determine if Postal Service management is adhering to building maintenance, safety and security standards, and employee working condition requirements at mail processing facilities.

Findings

Building Maintenance
We identified 16 maintenance deficiencies, including stained, broken, and missing ceiling tiles throughout the facility; dirty air vents; unsanitary restrooms with dirty floors, toilets, and partitions; and trash and debris around the building’s exterior and roof.

Building Safety
We identified 17 safety deficiencies at the San Francisco P&DC, including potential trip hazards, such as loose carpet and unsecured cords; blocked electrical panels; microwaves and refrigerators plugged into power strips in an unsafe manner; and data ports and phone lines that were hanging, uncovered, and detached from the walls.

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Source: USPS Office of Inspector General