INTERNAL AUDIT DIVISION

AUDIT REPORT

Occupational safety and health in

UNMIL

While the establishment of a dedicated Unit for

occupational safety and health in the Mission is
commendable, additional measures and clarity on
its roles and responsibilites are needed

30 July 2010
Assignment No. AP2009/626/09
 INTERNAL AUDIT DIVISION

FUNCTION The Office shall, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the
Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations examine,
review and appraise the use of financial resources of the United
Nations in order to guarantee the implementation of programmes and
legislative mandates, ascertain compliance of programme managers
with the financial and administrative regulations and rules, as
well as with the approved recommendations of external oversight
bodies, undertake management audits, reviews and surveys to
improve the structure of the Organization and its responsiveness
to the requirements of programmes and legislative mandates, and
monitor the effectiveness of the systems of internal control of
the Organization (General Assembly Resolution 48/218 B).

CONTACT DIRECTOR:
Fatoumata Ndiaye: Tel: +1.212.963.5648, Fax: +1.212.963.3388,
INFORMATION e-mail: ndiaye@un.org

DEPUTY DIRECTOR:
Gurpur Kumar: Tel: +1.212.963.5920, Fax: +1.212.963.3388,
e-mail: kumarg@un.org

CHIEF, PEACEKEEPING AUDIT SERVICE:

Eleanor Burns: Tel: +1. 212.967.2792, Fax: +1.212.963.3388,
e-mail: burnse@un.org
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Audit of occupational safety and health in UNMIL

OIOS conducted an audit of occupational safety and health in United

Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The main objective of the audit was to
assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the Missions occupational safety and
health programme. The audit was conducted in accordance with the International
Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.

UNMIL is the only peacekeeping mission to establish a formal

arrangement, with a dedicated Unit, for the implementation of occupational
safety measures. While this is a commendable effort, the audit found that
additional measures and clarity on roles and responsibilities are needed to
enhance the Units effectiveness, as outlined below:

There was no clear delineation of responsibilities between the

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Unit and other sections in the
Mission regarding the developing and monitoring of occupational safety
and health measures. This increased the risks of duplication and a
responsibility gap between the Unit and other sections in the Mission.

Apart from assigning one staff member, a United Nations

Volunteer, there were insufficient resources available to the Unit with the
requisite professional qualifications to perform occupational safety
inspections and respond to reports on hazards. This increased the risk
that appropriate action to address hazards or adopt procedures to prevent
staff working in hazardous conditions is not taken in a timely manner.

There were inadequate safety measures in place within the

UNMIL compound, thereby increasing the risk of accidents. For
instance: pedestrian pathways were poorly designed or blocked forcing
staff to walk on the road; speed limits were not enforced; and access of
vehicles to the Fuel Unit were not properly controlled.

OIOS has made recommendations to address the weaknesses found by

the audit and to further improve the occupational safety and health in the
Mission.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Paragraphs

I. INTRODUCTION 1-3

II. AUDIT OBJECTIVES 4

III. AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY 5-7

IV. AUDIT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A. Roles and responsibilities of the Occupational Safety and Health Unit 8-18
B. Safety awareness in the Mission 19-22
C. Safety in Missions premises 23-28
D. Staff facilities 29-33

V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 40

ANNEX 1 Status of Audit Recommendations

 I. INTRODUCTION
1. The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) conducted an audit of
occupational safety and health (OSH) in the United Nations Mission in Liberia
(UNMIL). The audit was conducted in accordance with the International
Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.

2. UNMIL has an OSH Unit, which has a range of safety responsibilities such
as servicing the Health and Safety Council (HSC), implementing hazard
reporting procedures, publishing safety bulletins, conducting inspections and
participating in safety task forces. The Unit has one full-time staff, a United
Nations Volunteer, who reports to the Acting Senior Administrative Officer.

3. Comments made by UNMIL are shown in italics.

II. AUDIT OBJECTIVES

4. The main objective of the audit was to assess the adequacy and
effectiveness of the Missions occupational safety and health programme in
complying with: (a) OSH policies and procedures issued by United Nations
Headquarters; and (b) UNMILs procedures for identifying, addressing and
preventing workplace hazards.

III. AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY

5. The audit covered the period from 1 July 2007 to 31 October 2009 and
focused on a range of issues including environmental safety measures
implemented by the Mission, safety awareness training, and adequacy of hygiene
and personal protective equipment.

6. The following areas were not covered by the audit as they have been
separately audited: aviation safety (AP2007/626/02), pandemic planning and
preparedness (AP2006/626/18), fire safety (AP2009/626/10), HIV/ AIDS
programme (AP2009/626/05), medical services (AP2008/626/08), and security
operations (AH2007/500/01).

7. The audit methodology included an inspection of selected work locations

including cafeterias, fuel dispensing points, warehouses and workshops where
the risk of noncompliance with relevant OSH policies and procedures were
considered high. The audit also included interviews with key personnel, and
review and analyses of documents and other records.
 IV. AUDIT FINDINGS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

A. Roles and responsibilities of the OSH Unit

8. UNMIL was the only peacekeeping mission with an OSH Unit, which
performed a number of functions such as servicing the HSC, implementing
hazard reporting procedures, publishing safety bulletins, conducting inspections
and participating in safety task forces. According to the Mission, the
Departments of Field Support (DFS) and Safety and Security had not provided
them with guidance on the establishment, role and staffing requirements of the
Unit.

9. While the establishment of the OSH Unit is commendable, it has created

the need for clear delineation of the responsibilities of other sections in the
Mission vis--vis the OSH Unit regarding the developing and monitoring of OSH
measures. For example, several occupations such as construction work are within
the purview of other sections like the Engineering Section, and the required
occupational safety measures were not adequately documented and
responsibilities properly assigned. The lack of adequate guidance has evidently
resulted in diminished quality of OSH measures in the Mission including the lack
of Mission-specific standards and procedures.

10. Due to the lack of clarity on the establishment, role and staffing
requirements of the OSH Unit, there was no provision in the Missions budgets
for OSH activities. There are no staffing resources available to the Unit with the
requisite professional qualifications to perform occupational safety inspections
and respond to reports on hazards. There was thus a high risk of staff not being
properly protected when performing tasks that are considered hazardous.

11. Other areas found during the audit, where there was a lack of focus on OSH
measures included a lack of:

Guidance and standards on personal protective equipment on each

specific occupational group. While the DPKO best practices website
provides guidance on the various protective equipment to use for
different hazardous activities, all occupations were not included.

A safety advisory on the dangers of carbon monoxide despite the

Missions heavy reliance on diesel generators for electricity and the use
of diesel forklifts inside warehouses.

Established standards regarding lighting for work areas. The

Missions HSC had already established that poor-quality lighting
significantly affected productivity and increased accidents and health
problems in the Mission.
 Recommendation 1

(1) The UNMIL Office of Mission Support should, in

consultation with United Nations Headquarters, clarify the
role and resource requirements of the Occupational Safety
and Health (OSH) Unit to ensure adequate focus and
systematic implementation of OSH measures in the Mission.

12. The UNMIL Office of Mission Support accepted recommendation 1 and

stated that it would seek further guidance from DPKO/DFS. In the meantime, it
will endeavor to enhance its OSH initiatives within its available resources.
Recommendation 1 remains open pending receipt of documents clarifying the
role and resource requirements of the OSH Unit.

B. Safety awareness in the Mission

13. The Integrated Mission Training Center (IMTC) offers a basic safety
awareness briefing accredited by the British Safety Council (BSC). OIOS found
that individual contractors (ICs) rarely participated in the awareness training
although some were involved in hazardous occupations. The Missions
management was initially of the view that it was not cost-effective to provide
training to ICs hired for short periods. However, the Mission did agree that safety
briefings are important and they will be given when practical. Meanwhile,
supervisors provided safety briefings to ICs at project sites.

Expired accreditation of the IMTC

14. The IMTC is accredited by the BSC to provide the BSC safety awareness
training and administer Level 1 OSH examinations. However, the accreditation
expired in April 2009 and, at the time of the audit, it had not been renewed.

Recommendation 2

(2) The UNMIL Office of Mission Support should renew

the Integrated Mission Training Centers accreditation with
the British Safety Council to ensure that the highest quality
of training is delivered to staff.

15. The UNMIL Office of Mission Support accepted recommendation 2 and

stated that it was taking appropriate actions to address these issues.
Recommendation 2 remains open pending receipt of evidence of the renewal of
the accreditation by the IMTC.

C. Safety in the Missions premises

Inadequate noise abatement

16. The DPKO/DFS OSH Manual, and the UNMIL Health and Safety
Handbook require the use of appropriate hearing protection at designated
3
hazardous noise areas, or when using tools or equipment that are hazardous noise
producers. In October 2009, HSC established that noise exposure limits of 90
decibels should not be exceeded. However, this limit was exceeded at the
generator workshop and the water pump at the Missions Headquarters. Failure
to address excessive noise levels may result in irreversible hearing loss of staff.

Conditions within the vicinity of the Fuel Unit

17. The Fuel Unit did not have a warehouse. Therefore, it stored lubricants in
drums in an area adjacent to offices and with heavy traffic. The Fuel Units
safety focal point agreed with OIOS that this is a dangerous situation, which can
potentially result in accidents related to forklift operations. In May 2008, the
OSH Unit drew the attention of the HSC to this hazardous situation, but no
corrective action had been taken.

18. Also, despite the availability of ample parking areas within the vicinity of
the Fuel Unit, active operational vehicles were allowed to park in the narrow
driveway adjacent to its offices, which did not have emergency exits. This
hampered pedestrian access and forklift operations and could hinder evacuation
and firefighting operations.

Electrical safety

19. The DPKO/DFS OSH Manual requires supervisors in the Engineering

Section to ensure that tools and equipment are properly maintained. OIOS found
unsafe conditions such as overloaded electrical extension cords, which indicated
the lack of proper maintenance of equipment. At the Gbarnga complex, there
were also forbidden electrical connections that presented the risk of electrocution
and fires.

Pedestrian and vehicular conditions within UNMIL compounds

20. According to the Missions 2007 safety awareness briefing, poor roadway
maintenance and design are the second and third highest contributing factors
respectively in vehicle collisions, and most accidents are caused by excessive
speed and aggressive driver behaviour. The BSC safety awareness briefing also
states that well-organized traffic routes, segregation of vehicles and pedestrians,
and good surfaces are essential to reduce workplace transport accidents.
Notwithstanding these warnings, the following conditions that presented the risk
of accidents existed in the Mission:

At the Missions Headquarters, the Logistics Base and the Seaport

Management Unit, roadways and pedestrian pathways were poorly
designed, maintained, signposted, and regulated. For example, at the
Logistics Base, pedestrian pathways were inadequate due to the
cluttering of generators and sea containers along the roads. This
condition caused pedestrians to walk on roads.

Traffic signs were different from those used internationally and were
incorrectly installed.
4
 Speed limits were not adequately monitored and enforced.

Vehicular access to the Fuel Unit area at the Logistics Base was not
properly controlled, resulting in diminished safety of staff and property.

Recommendation 3

(3) The UNMIL Office of Mission Support should assess

the safety level at its installations and implement appropriate
measures to ensure compliance with relevant standards and
best practices.

21. The UNMIL Office of Mission Support accepted recommendation 3 and

stated that it had been implemented. Additionally, the OHS conducts surprise
inspections of all work places, the HSC has developed a hazard reporting
mechanism, and all sections have designated OHS focal points for monitoring
and reporting OSH-related issues to the HSC. Based on the assurances provided
by management that adequate action has been taken, recommendation 3 has been
closed.

D. Staff facilities

22. The United Nations actively promotes the rights and dignity of disabled
persons. For example, Resolution 48/96 of the General Assembly dated 4 March
1994 provides for the inclusion of accessibility requirements in the design and
construction of the physical environment. However, UNMIL has not provided
facilities for persons with disabilities at its own premises. For example, at the
Missions Headquarters and at the Logistics Base, entrances are not wheelchair-
accessible and there are no disabled-friendly toilets. The Missions management
agreed that reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be
established, including wheelchair-accessible entrances and disabled-friendly
toilets. This will be implemented by August 2010.

23. The DPKO/ DFS Fuel Operations Manual emphasizes the hazards of fuel
products on the human body and provides that premises should be equipped with
showers and bathing facilities and that contaminated clothing should be
laundered separately. Additionally, the DPKO/DFS Guidelines for Food Safety
Management in Peacekeeping Operations require that hot water should be
provided at food workers ablution facilities.

24. The Mission had not provided staff with adequate and well-maintained
facilities. For example:

Toilets and bathrooms at three fuel dispensing locations and

three warehouses were inadequate, as there were no facilities for
laundering contaminated clothing;

There were no separate toilets for men and women working at

the cafeterias in Mission Headquarters and the Logistics Base, and there

5
 was no hot water in toilets for workers at the cafeteria in Mission
Headquarters;

The maintenance and cleaning of public toilets/bathrooms at its

installations were not adequately monitored. A monitoring checklist had
been introduced, but not fully implemented.

Recommendation 4

(4) The UNMIL Office of Mission Support should assess

the facilities used by staff and workers and take appropriate
measures to ensure compliance with relevant standards
regarding staff toilets, changing areas, and laundry facilities
for garments used at work.

25. The UNMIL Office of Mission Support accepted recommendation 4 and

stated that it would be implemented by August 2010. Recommendation 4 remains
open pending confirmation that facilities for staff have been up-graded.

Cafeteria operations and facilities

26. The Mission and the food service contractor were not fully compliant with
the DPKO/DFS Food Safety Guidelines. There was inadequate maintenance and
cleaning resulting in the accumulation of dirt and insects. The food service
contractor is responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of the premises and for
minor maintenance of equipment.

27. The DPKO/DFS Food Safety Guidelines require that potable cold water be
used for washing food and cooking. The water used at the Logistics Base and the
Headquarters cafeterias was not potable and the tap water used in the kitchen
had not been tested. OIOS found muddy residue in the water tanks at the
Logistics Base cafeteria despite assurance by the Water and Sanitation Unit that
the tap water was of good quality.

Recommendation 5

(5) The UNMIL Office of Mission Support should ensure

compliance with the DPKO/DFS food safety guidelines.

28. The UNMIL Administration accepted recommendation 5 and stated that it

has implemented appropriate mechanisms to ensure compliance with
DPKO/DFS food safety guidelines. The Food Cell, Medical Section, Food
Committee and the OSH Unit monitor and inspect the cafeterias. Based on the
action taken, recommendation 5 has been closed.

V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
29. We wish to express our appreciation to the Management and staff of
UNMIL for the assistance and cooperation extended to the auditors during this
assignment.
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 ANNEX 1

STATUS OF AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS

Recom. Risk C/ Implementation

Recommendation Risk category Actions needed to close recommendation
no. rating O1 date2
1 The UNMIL Office of Mission Support Governance High O Documents clarifying the role and resource July 2010
should, in consultation with United Nations requirements of the OSH Unit.
Headquarters, clarify the role and resource
requirements of the Occupational Safety
and Health (OSH) Unit to ensure adequate
focus and systematic implementation of
OSH measures in the Mission
2 The UNMIL Office of Mission Support Human Medium O Evidence of the renewal of the October 2010
should renew the Integrated Mission resources accreditation by the IMTC.
Training Centers accreditation with the
British Safety Council to ensure that the
highest quality of training is delivered to
staff.
3 The UNMIL Office of Mission Support Governance Medium C Action taken. Implemented
should assess the level safety at its
installations and implement appropriate
measures to ensure compliance with
relevant standards and best practices.
4 The UNMIL Office of Mission Support Compliance Medium O Evidence of implementation of the August 2010
should asses the facilities used by staff and recommendation.
workers and take appropriate measures to
ensure compliance with relevant standards
regarding staff toilets, changing areas, and
laundry facilities for garments used at
work.
5 The UNMIL Office of Mission Support Compliance Medium C Action taken. Implemented
should ensure compliance with the
DPKO/DFS food safety guidelines.

1. C = closed, O = open
2. Date provided by UNMIL in response to recommendations.