Veterans Benefits Administration: Claims Folder Storage at the VA Regional Office, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

摘要

During the onsite benefit inspection of the VA Regional Office (VARO) Winston-Salem, we observed an excessive number of claims folders stored on the top of, and around, filing cabinets. Based on our concerns, we issued a Management Advisory Memorandum to the Under Secretary for Benefits to ensure the VARO addressed management of veterans files and employee safety concerns immediately. The inadequate storage created an unsafe workspace for VARO employees and appeared to have the potential to compromise the integrity of the building. The volume and the manner in which the folders were stored impeded VARO productivity by reducing access to folders. Veterans claims were also at increased risk of loss or misfiling, as well as unnecessarily exposed to potential water and fire damage. In addition, cabinets were positioned so close together that file drawers could not be opened completely. In response, the General Services Administration performed a load bearing study indicating the files, as currently stored, exceeded the capacity of the floor by approximately 39 pounds per square foot. The photos attached to the advisory memo to VBA management show the excessive and potentially unsafe file storage at the time of our inspection. The Under Secretary for Benefits directed the VARO leadership take immediate action to address our concerns. Subsequently, VARO managers relocated excess folders and file cabinets to other floors and began exploring alternate temporary storage areas, as well as requested additional storage cabinets. VARO management complied and submitted a long-range proposal to improve claim folder access and security. Management's planned action is responsive to our recommendations.