Delivering billions of pieces of mail to over 42,000 ZIP codes across the U.S. can be hazardous work. Due to postal workers’ work environments spanning various environments and situations, and the U.S. Postal Service’s comprehensive safety equipment for their employees to stay protected. As nearly 40,000 postal employees were injured just last year alone due to negligence at work, protecting employees is of vital importance. Postal Life and Disability Plans have joined forces with one of America’s premier insurers to offer Life Insurance for postal employees tailored specifically for postal workers and their family members.
Slips and Falls
Falls and slips are one of the leading causes of employee injuries across the U.S. To reduce risks associated with falls, preventive steps should include not taking shortcuts, being aware of where you walk on uneven terrain while keeping a clean working space; wearing suitable footwear to perform your duties efficiently; as well as being wary of frozen ice when transporting mail in wet conditions as well as making use of available handrails when possible.
Bites
Bite vermeiden While it may be easy to assume mail carriers will only have to worry about being attacked by dogs, postal workers must also guard themselves from insect bites and avoid making eye contact with animals that could potentially attack. Use insect repellent and use caution when opening mailboxes outdoors if there are dogs present; mail should always be left in its respective mailbox in these instances as this helps prevent it from thinking it has come from a person trying to hurt the animal.
Lifting
Lifting can be a demanding job. If you need to lift heavy or large objects, ask someone else for assistance and follow proper lifting methods. Step one foot in front and two in back of the object being lifted before bending knees then lifting with spine straight and keeping elbows close by your body when carrying objects; let it fall instead of trying to salvage it if it occurs.
Driving
As with driving any vehicle, when delivering mail via the United States Postal Service vehicle or your own private vehicle you must follow Postal Service rules. Be mindful of pedestrians during your deliveries and ensure your vehicle operates in an efficient and safe manner – the USPS requires at least four seconds between vehicles to prevent accidents from occurring – don’t hold onto mail while driving and be cautious when pulling away from mail boxes.
Prepare for the Weather – Postal Workers Need to Be Prepared
One of the key challenges mail carriers must contend with is weather. Weather can be unpredictable and can pose many dangers of its own; therefore it’s essential that mail carriers be ready for any weather scenario. On hot, sunny days make sure you wear sunglasses and sunscreen with SPF to reduce risks such as skin cancer, sunburn and related risks as well as using bug spray on those days to ward off mosquitoes that could carry Zika, West Nile virus or another illness.
In case of rain, always ensure you bring along a sturdy rain poncho and boots with good grips for safety during rainstorms. In colder climates it is necessary to wear winter boots that feature appropriate treading in order to avoid slips or falls on ice, and have an extremely warm yet sturdy jacket to ward off cold winds; scarves, gloves and earmuffs may also come in handy in staying warm throughout winter months.
Postal Workers Have to Be On the Look Out for Dogs
Postal workers face one of the greatest security threats each day from dogs: one being that many are loving, affectionate pets but some can become cruel or violent due to lack of training, owner abuse or territoriality/protectiveness issues. Some dogs become aggressive towards anyone entering their property due to excessive territoriality/protectiveness issues while some become extremely territorial/protective of family members, biting anyone who enters. Since postal workers are seen by dogs as threats that need responding to, their behavior could escalate in ways that injure postal workers working alone on properties with fences around them – an outcome which could leave postal workers injured on-the-job!
For this reason, many USPS mail carriers are equipped with repellents against dogs to reduce your chances of being attacked and bitten. Dogs also tend to dislike citrus scents like lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit peels which is why keeping some nearby may help.
Avoid Injuries While Delivering Mail
The Postal Service provides training and safety guidelines to its employees; however, regardless of your training levels or levels of guidance you receive accidents can occur at any moment. Be mindful of what’s happening around you is an integral component of any job that relies heavily on going from house to house, especially during the warmer months when many are out in their front gardens trimming grass, watering flowerbeds or playing frisbee. Putting on earbuds and not being aware of what’s around you puts you at risk of falling on freshly-cut grass, crossing water hoses or getting hit in the head by an airborne ball. Inability to hear what is going on could result in being hit by an unexpected car while traveling between houses – ensure you wear earbuds so as to remain alert of what’s going on at all times!
Another reason to be on guard is due to the risk of violence around you. Some neighborhoods do not feature many positive people and residents, which increases your chance of encountering drug sales, gang violence and drug dealings, for instance. Be wary when walking around these areas. Be especially wary delivering packages to shabby or abandoned houses and be on alert if someone seems nervous in them. If anything causes unease within these places, leave immediately by driving your mail truck away before calling either your supervisor or authorities depending on what incident transpired therein.