Protecting your Employees and Securing your Mail Center

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Protecting your Employees and Securing your
Mail Center
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What constitutes a suspicious letter or package?

• If you receive a letter or package from an
  unknown sender or that arouses suspicion
• Stop - Dont handle it
• Attempt to contact the sender or recipient
• Isolate it immediately
• Dont open, smell, or taste
• If unable to resolve, notify a
• supervisor

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• Current Threats
• Chemical
• Biological
• Radiological
• Nuclear
• Explosive
• Extremely unlikelybut the fear of these
  materials disrupts operations, incites fear, and
  often diverts vital first-responder resources.

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How do you prepare?

• Identify threats
• Conduct a risk assessment
• Develop policies
• Draft procedures/best practices
• Prepare contingency and continuity plans
• Communicate and train

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Identify threats.

• Domestic hate group
• Disgruntled employee/workplace violence
• Acts of nature (flood, fire, earthquake, etc.)
• Personal vendetta against an employee in your
  business

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Conduct a risk assessment.
Your approach should reflect your companys
mission
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Develop policies.

• Policy a plan or guiding principle
• Address areas identified as priorities in risk
  assessment
• Get support from key officials
• Examples
• Access to mail center
• X-ray of packages
• Opening of mail

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Sample policies.
(Private Sector)

• Deliveries for senior executives
• Packages

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Sample procedure.(Private Sector)

• Mail and packages for senior executives
• Second Screen bin sorting
• Visually inspect packages
• X-ray
• Quality control

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Necessary plans.

• Occupant emergency plans
• Contingency plans
• Continuity plans

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• What does suspicious mail look like?

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• Specific Features Letter Bombs
• At least ¼ inch thickness
• Bulkier than normal letters
• Rigid uneven appearance
• Springiness
• May have protruding wires or aluminum foil

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• Some package bombs are more difficult to detect
  by appearance alone.

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• What made this a suspicious package?

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• Outgoing Mailings
• Notify the Postal Service of large mass mailings
  that might cause concern for postal employees or
  customers.
• The Inspection Service will notify police or
  first responders that may receive calls from
  addressees.

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• If a suspicious mail piece is located in the mail
  or USPS facility
• Attempts are made to contact the sender and/or
  the addressee often simple telephone contact
  provides information that leads to resolution of
  an incident.

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Training.

• Education and awareness are essential
• Employee awareness
• Design and vigorously monitor security program
• Reduces risk for all

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Recommendations.(Low and Moderate Risk Mail
Rooms)

1. Appoint a mail security coordinator
2. Security and Disaster Standard Operation Plans
3. Train personnel on policies
4. Limit access of personnel
5. Identify and escort personnel
6. Establish contact list for emergencies

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Recommendations.(Low and Moderate Risk Mail
Rooms)

1. HAZMAT emergency service
2. Post SOP for suspicious packages
3. Best practices
4. Intrusion detection system
5. Senior management endorsement

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Recommendations.(High Risk Mail Rooms)

• These are in addition to Low risk
  recommendations.
• Alternate mail security coordinator
• Mail security response team
• Offsite copy of plans
• Staff specialized employees
• Equipment for team

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Recommendations.(High Risk Mail Rooms)

1. Publish distribute information, personnel
   updates procedures
2. Cameras at entrances and exterior
3. Require employee attendance at mail security
   briefings
4. Publish After Action reports

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Plan review.

1. Be wary of unexpected packages
2. Notify the supervisor
3. Do not shake or bump the item
4. Do not open, smell, touch or taste
5. Isolate the damaged item immediately
6. Cordon off the immediate area
7. Have employees wash hands

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Plan review.

1. Prepare list of affected employees
2. Isolate clothing
3. Shower

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Conclusion.

• Mail Center must evaluate situation
• Objectively weigh threat circumstances in order
  to render a prudent decision

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US Postal Inspection Service

• About the US Postal Inspection Service
• Find us on the World Wide Web
• https//postalinspectors.uspis.gov