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Protecting your Employees and Securing your Mail Center

Protecting your Employees and Securing your Mail Center. What constitutes a suspicious letter or package?. If you receive a suspicious letter or package: Stop - Don’t handle it Isolate it immediately Don’t open, smell, or taste Activate your emergency plan Notify a supervisor.

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Protecting your Employees and Securing your Mail Center

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  1. Protecting your Employees and Securing your Mail Center

  2. What constitutes a suspicious letter or package? If you receive a suspicious letter or package: • Stop - Don’t handle it • Isolate it immediately • Don’t open, smell, or taste • Activate your emergency plan • Notify a supervisor

  3. How do you prepare? • Identify threats • Conduct a risk assessment • Develop policies • Draft procedures/best practices • Prepare contingency and continuity plans • Communicate and train

  4. Identify threats. • International terrorist • Domestic hate group • Disgruntled employee/workplace violence • Acts of nature (flood, fire, earthquake, etc.)

  5. Conduct a risk assessment. Your posture should reflect your company’s mission

  6. Develop policies. • Policy – a plan or guiding principle • Address areas identified as priorities in risk assessment • Get support from upper management and key officials • Examples: • Access to mail center • X-ray of packages • Opening of mail

  7. Sample policies. (Private Sector) • Deliveries for senior executives • Packages

  8. Sample policies. (Government Agency) • Personal mail • General policy for mail

  9. Draft procedures. • Procedure: • Series of steps taken to implement a policy • Be as specific as possible • Update as needed

  10. Mail handling and processing operations. • Centralizing the mail handling/processing operation at a separate location • Centralization: • Minimizes risk • Reduces costs • Increases effectiveness

  11. Mail handling and processing operations. • Initial sort – by hand • Individuals who normally sort the mail should perform the initial screening • These individuals are most likely to notice packages that are out of the ordinary

  12. Best practices. • Employ professional security personnel • All visitors should be greeted • Restrict access to facility • Keep dated visitor logs • Install an intrusion detection system • Use surveillance equipment • Adequate lighting

  13. Best practices. • Badges • Lock and key accountability • Secure off limit areas • Develop an emergency plan • Train employees • Restrict drivers • Establish communication channel

  14. Best practices. • Screen incoming mail • Open mail in authorized areas only • Develop screening procedures • Develop procedures for: • packages identified as suspicious • confirming suspicious packages • isolating suspicious packages

  15. Best practices. • Conduct unannounced tests for mail center personnel • Make available protective wear • HAZMAT team information • Conduct After Action Review (AAR)

  16. Enhanced steps. • Bomb detection/K-9 • X-ray all incoming mail • Detection devices • Hold mail 24 hours or until testing concludes • Store mail in containment containers • Down draft tables • Separate air filtration unit

  17. Enhanced steps. • Monitored mail operations • Safe air room for mail processing • Monthly swab testing for mail room • Showers and decontamination system • Wear protective clothing • Duress alarm

  18. Be prepared. “The government processes billions of pieces of mail each year without incident; however, local, state, and federal agencies alike must prepare for the worst case scenario.”

  19. Sample procedure.(Private Sector) Mail and packages for senior executives: • “Second Screen” bin sorting • Visually inspect packages • X-ray • Quality control

  20. Sample procedure(Government Agency) Procedures for handling mail: • Wear latex surgical gloves • Encourage respiratory protective masks • X-ray incoming mail • Visually screen mail

  21. Necessary plans. • Occupant emergency plans • Contingency plans • Continuity plans

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

  23. Continuity of operations plan. Implement anticipatory measures • Back up site • Continuity of Operation Plan (COOP) • Enables mail processes to continue

  24. Continuity of operations plan. Fundamental needs: • To send and receive mail if primary mail operation shuts down • Advanced planning is important for security protection

  25. Recommendations.(Low and Moderate Risk Facilities) • Appoint a mail security coordinator • Standard Operating Plans (SOPs) • Train personnel on policies • Limit access of personnel • Identify and escort personnel • Establish HAZMAT response plans

  26. Recommendations.(Low and Moderate Risk Facilities) • HAZMAT emergency service • Post SOP for suspicious packages • Phone numbers for emergencies • Best practices • Intrusion detection system • Senior management buy in

  27. Recommendations.(High Risk Facilities) 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

  28. Recommendations.(High Risk Facilities) • Publish & distribute information, personnel updates & procedures • Cameras at entrances and exterior • Require employee attendance at mail security briefings • Publish AAR reports

  29. Training. • What do people need to know to carry out policies and procedures • Keep yourself informed • Don’t just react • Stay alert

  30. Training. Complete training program will include: • Basic security procedures • Recognizing and reporting suspicious packages • Proper use of personal protective equipment • Responding to a biological threat • Responding to a bomb threat

  31. Training. • Maintain employee training logs • Include date completed • Follow up with refresher training • On a regular basis

  32. Training. Educate all other employees too

  33. Plan review. • Be wary of unexpected packages • Notify the supervisor • Do not shake or bump the item • Do not open, smell, touch or taste • Isolate the damaged item immediately • Cordon off the immediate area • Have employees wash hands

  34. Plan review. • Prepare list of affected employees • Isolate clothing • Shower

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

  36. Additional resources. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov Federal Bureau of Investigation http://www.fbi.gov Occupational Safety and Health Administration http://www.osha.gov FEMA’s Rapid Response Information System http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hazmat/index.shtm U. S. Postal Service http://www.usps.com

  37. US Postal Inspection Service About the US Postal Inspection Service • Find us on the World Wide Web: • http://www.usps.com/postalsinspectors

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