OIG to Audit Mine Rescue Response, Workplace Violence Efforts

The Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG) will conduct audits of MSHA’s plan for responding to mine disasters and OSHA’s actions to prevent workplace violence, according to a new report detailing OIG’s priorities for fiscal year 2026. In January, OIG identified both areas as among DOL’s top challenges.

“Prior OIG work found MSHA had not provided adequate oversight of mine emergency response plans, which included planning by both mine operators and MSHA,” the new report reads. “This audit will assess MSHA’s preparedness in responding to emergencies requiring mine rescue operations.”

OIG’s January report was critical of MSHA’s elimination of requirements for mandatory inspections at 176 mines that were initially inaccessible to agency personnel, resulting in a two- to four-year lapse in inspections. The agency is required to inspect underground mines four times each year and surface mines twice a year. 

OIG also plans to audit MSHA’s administration of its annual grant programs to determine whether they are properly designed and executed. The funding for these grants amounted to $10.5 million in 2025.

The new report also noted that violence remains among the top five causes of death for workers despite a decrease from 849 fatalities from workplace violence in 2022 to 740 in 2023. OSHA has no regulatory standard for workplace violence. In a 2001 report (PDF), OIG determined that the agency can do more to address workplace violence and recommended a reassessment of its training and outreach programs.

In addition to MSHA and OSHA, other entities scheduled for audits during FY 2026 include the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Employment and Training Administration, and the Wage and Hour Division. The new report discusses both mandatory audits, which are required by law or regulation, and discretionary audits, which OIG chooses to administer “based on risk and potential impact on DOL’s mission and goals,” the report states. The MSHA and OSHA audits are identified as discretionary. 

For more information, download “Office of Inspector General’s Audit Workplan” (PDF) from the OIG website.