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GAO-13-847R 1 (2013-09-26)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaahih0001 and id is 1 raw text is: GO U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 September 26, 2013 The Honorable Darrell E. Issa Chairman Committee on Oversight and Government Reform House of Representatives U.S. Postal Service: Information on Workforce Injuries Arising During Mail Delivery Dear Mr. Chairman: According to United States Postal Service (USPS) officials, USPS employee injuries are largely due to the often physically demanding, industrial, and highly repetitive nature of their work. Mail carriers-who delivered mail to nearly 132 million delivery points nationwide in fiscal year 20121 -can be injured while delivering mail in a number of ways, for example by being bitten by a dog or being involved in a vehicle collision. According to USPS officials, in fiscal year 2012 there were 32,213 injuries for the entire postal workforce of nearly 630,000 employees,2 of which 11,717 (36 percent) occurred during mail delivery.3 The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) program provides for cash benefits and medical benefits to eligible federal employees who suffer temporary or permanent disabilities resulting from work-related injuries or illnesses. FECA cash benefits include payments for wages lost when employees cannot work because of work-related disabilities due to traumatic injuries or occupational illnesses.4 Medical benefits can include vocational rehabilitation and medical care for injured workers. Like other federal agencies, USPS pays its workers' compensation costs through the federal workers' compensation program administered by the Department of Labor. USPS's workers' compensation costs have increased in recent years. USPS's workers' compensation expense for fiscal year 2012 was $3.7 billion, compared to $2.2 billion in fiscal year 2009, a 68 percent increase.5 As we have previously reported, USPS is in a serious financial crisis and has not generated sufficient revenue to cover its expenses and financial obligations as mail volume continues to 'Post Office Boxes comprise about an additional 20 million delivery points. According to USPS, mail delivery to Post Office boxes is generally performed by clerks and is not the same delivery function as delivering mail to a centralized mailbox outside of a Post Office. 2Unless otherwise noted, year references are for fiscal year. 3According to USPS, its employees filed a total of 43,268 claims in fiscal year 2012 with the Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, which includes injuries, illnesses, and non-injuries. 45 U.S.C. § 8101 et seq.; 20 C.F.R. Part 10. 5USPS reported in its 2012 Form 10-K report that the various components of the total workers' compensation expense includes the impact of discount rate changes, actuarial reevaluations of existing cases, the costs of new cases, and administrative fees. GAO-13-847R Mail Delivery Injuries

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