Our Postal Workers Are on the War Front

Have the recent incidents involving anthrax sent through the U.S. mail affected local postal workers, and what is being done to safeguard employees and the public from this method of bioterrorism? KAREN KARLITZ spoke with a post office spokesman.

*

DAVID MAZER

Public affairs and communications manager, Southern California office of the U.S. Postal Service

The No. 1 issue is safety, the safety of our employees and the mailing public. So we’re educating everybody on how to identify and handle suspicious mail.

Almost everyone here is going about their jobs normally. There have been several incidents in Southern California, but they have all been false alarms. We’re moving the mail, and it’s getting out on time.

The people of Southern California should be very cautious and at the same time use common sense. Most people know what comes in their mail, so there should be concern if a letter from an unknown person is received. Other things to look for are lumpy envelopes, a package that leaks powder or liquid, something with too much postage or something addressed to someone no longer at your address. If you believe you have handled suspicious mail, isolate it, wash your hands with soap and water and contact law enforcement.

The public can help by putting a return address on everything. Any person who sends a substance through the mail as a hoax will be prosecuted.

As an extra precaution, we are using industrial-strength vacuums to clean our machines instead of blowers, and the Postal Service in Washington is investigating machines that can sanitize the mail.

But for now, our best protection is education. The risk today is minuscule. We deliver 680 million pieces of mail every day in the U.S., but even one case of anthrax infection is too many.