New Concerns for Mail Center Managers

1. New Concerns for Mail Center Managers by Richard W. Pavely, MSE, CQA

2. How to Spot Trouble • Obtain, read & post the USPS instructions on ways to detect suspicious mail • Go to usps.com for assistance in obtaining copies

3. Getting Help in a Hurry • Post important reach numbers • Local fire • Hazmat unit • Local security • Serving post office – the one that provides your mail • Next 2 levels of management

4. Nothing Personal • Eliminate personal belongings from the mail center • Mail center safety stems from the elimination of clutter – less to see, easier to spot the unusual

5. Dump Table • Large flat surface with 3-4” lip around the edge • Great for emptying mail bags, buckets • Facilitates a look-no-touch first examination of incoming

6. Address Quality • The concern for mail safety adds new value to an old process improvement • Properly addressed mail has lower risk • Poorly addressed mail has increased risk and is more expensive to process • Unwanted mail is now unsafe as well

7. Controlled Access • Lockable facility • Very few doors • No access by non-mail center employees • Use Dutch door

8. Mail Center Funding • Don’t be stingy with mail center safety • Get professional assistance

9. Mail Center Safety & Security Resources • CMMC, Richard Pavely, (973) 989-0229 rpavely@cmmcinc.com • Mail Management Consulting, Jackie McPeak, (610) 869-8699, mailmgt@aol.com • Time Critical Communications, Bob Beltz, (818) 766-5473, rbeltz@timecriticalcom.co

10. Reference • The referenced article appeared in the December 2001 issue of Office Solutions magazine. • Additional articles by Richard Pavely appear frequently in MAIL: The Journal of Mailed Communications and Access Control and Security