MSHA reported much of the information to the Senate Appropriations Committee in March 2010, but this is the first public release of the details. The agency also released the documents to Congress last week.

Among the most significant findings was that in the 2009 fiscal year, the OOA determined the need for additional inspection personnel training to ensure effective inspections could be conducted and that hazards in specialized metal/nonmetal operations could be properly and consistently performed.

MSHA has since amended its training to address the issue.

Also in 2009, the auditors found examples of inadequate supervisory inspection reviews, which MSHA largely blamed on a high level of attrition that left it with many field supervisors who had five years or less of agency experience.

In response, MSHA developed a training program focusing on providing supervisors with essential resources. All metal/nonmetal supervisors will have completed the training by the end of April, and training for coal mine safety and health supervisors will be set within the next six months.

The OOA audit also noted that in some instances last year, MSHA inspectors did not properly identify levels of gravity and negligence in certain situations. The agency responded by enhancing its training on the issuance of citations and orders and the evaluation of gravity and negligence.

“I firmly believe that, like any responsible government agency, MSHA should continuously review its activities to improve its efficiency and performance,” assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health Joseph Main said.

“Conducting audits is not a new practice for MSHA − they’ve been carried out for years. But beyond that, it’s important to do more than identify and correct specific issues. We take these findings seriously and are implementing new training, and revising policies and procedures to ensure that common problems that have been identified do not crop up again and again.”

Formed in 2007, the agency’s Office of Accountability oversees and reviews enforcement activities to determine the consistent compliance to policies and procedures as well as the performance of critical enforcement activities.

The audit reports for 2008, 2009 and 2010, organized by field office, are available on the MSHA web site.

The field offices are in Bessemer, Alabama; Denver, Colorado; Franklin, Tennessee; Harlan, Kentucky; Hebron, Ohio; Kittanning, Pennsylvania; Madisonville, Kentucky; Norton, Virginia; Peru, Illinois; Pikeville, Kentucky; Pottsville, Pennsylvania; Price, Utah; San Antonio, Texas; Staunton, Virginia; Vansant, Virginia; Vincennes, Indiana; Green River, Wyoming; Wyomissing North, Pennsylvania; and Wyomissing South, Pennsylvania.