USPS Hazmat Awareness Month — an annual campaign that focuses on efforts to safely identify, handle and deliver mailable hazardous materials — begins Friday, Nov. 1.
The organization is reminding all employees to always examine packages for hazmat markings and to ask customers if a parcel contains anything potentially hazardous — including metallic mercury and items containing metallic mercury, which are prohibited in the mailstream.
Mercury is a toxic chemical that even when exposed in small amounts — through inhalation, ingestion or skin contact — may cause serious health conditions.
When spilled, mercury can be absorbed into the skin and emit vapors that can produce harmful effects on the lungs and kidneys and the nervous, digestive and immune systems.
In recent years, the Postal Service has improved its longstanding hazmat policies and procedures in the aftermath of recent incidents, including fires in packages with lithium batteries that exceed the 100-watt limit, and corrosive fluid and mercury spills.
These efforts include focused communication and coordination with shippers, enhanced systems to accept and process packages that contain hazardous materials, and better use of data to correct deficiencies.
Other measures include refreshed training for employees, improvements to the system used to report hazmat incidents, new signage in Post Office retail lobbies and continued work with the Postal Inspection Service to address hazmat incidents.
During USPS Hazmat Awareness Month, the Postal Service will distribute communications to reinforce policies and procedures to keep the organization’s network safe.
This includes promoting the use of Poster 37, Is Your Package Safe to Mail?; Poster 298, Domestic Hazardous Materials — Warning Labels and Markings; Poster 318, Civil Penalty Notice; and Poster 702, Prohibited in International Mail — Dangerous Goods Warning Labels.
