The Office of Special Counsel has asked the Agriculture Department inspector general’s office to investigate allegations of unsafe working conditions at the Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Md., raised by officials of the AFGE local there.

The OSC told the union that it made the referral because its own preliminary investigation “has found a substantial likelihood of wrongdoing based on the information” in the whistleblowing disclosures.

“This is a validation to employees that their concerns have been heard, and that USDA will be required to conduct a full investigation into why the agency put the health and safety of its own employees in jeopardy, said the AFGE.

The AFGE said that the disclosures assert that the facility “failed to adequately maintain the center’s buildings and structures, resulting in an unsafe and deteriorating work environment for employees and the loss and improper handling of scientific equipment, research, and data.” That included allegations that employees were directed to enter the building after a flood to retrieve items without being provided the proper safety equipment.

The OSC asked the IG’s office to conduct its work within 60 days, although its letter to AFGE added that “these investigations usually take longer and agencies frequently request and receive extensions of the due date.

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