As Bruce Lisman flits about the state on his lightweight imitation of Sec’y. Condos’ ongoing “transparency tour,” State Auditor Doug Hoffer continues a practical and methodical examination of state agencies, from soup to nuts.

This Monday, GMD’s favorite number cruncher released a new audit report on The Office of State Employee Workers’ Compensation and Injury Prevention.  The OSEWCIP (just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) is responsible for oversight and management of workers’ comp for 6,000 state employees.

Like all state agencies in this era of purse-tightening, it is severely understaffed with just fifteen souls to hold down the fort; but, according to Auditor Hoffer, they are losing the battle and the cost both in practical value and in dollars-and-cents to Vermonters is considerable.

“State government’s most important asset is its workers, and they deserve a safe workplace,” Hoffer said. “In addition, taxpayers have a right to expect the state to make the investments necessary to reduce workforce injuries and related costs.”

Due to understaffing, Hoffer estimates that as many as 25% of the claims filed for Workers’ Comp never get properly reviewed.

One of the problems identified in the audit is poor communications management.  

Hoffer says that while Human Resources often receives “recommendations for improvements in the workforce,”  those recommendations never make it into the hands of “shop managers” who could apply those recommendations to the work environment.

“Nearly every incident represents an opportunity to implement a safer work environment and reduce claims,” the audit found. “The results of the statistical sample indicate that (the Office of State Employee Workers’ Compensation and Injury Prevention) is missing significant opportunities to identify and recommend safety fixes.”

Hoffer’s audit identified the heaviest filers of workers’ comp claims among government agencies:

the Agency of Transportation, Department of Corrections, Vermont Veterans’ Home, Department of Buildings and General Services, Department of Public Safety and the now-closed Vermont State Hospital – accounted for more than three-quarters of the 4,825 workers’ comp incidents reported between fiscal years 2008 and 2012.

That list may hint at where Auditor Hoffer might next turn his attentions.