How To Best Protect Your Organization From Suspicious Packages
Package screening is a necessary process that every organization should take seriously. It helps detect and deal with any package threats that may be dangerous to the principles, employees and cause damage to the facility and items inside the facility.
All mail, big and small, should be thoroughly screened before being opened. There have been many incidents where harmful powder, devices and even bombs are sent using an envelope.
There should be measures taken in and around the mailroom to protect the workers and others in the building, including :
• All packages received, no matter the size should be delivered to the mailroom alone and handled only by the designated employees.
• Always have safety gear like goggles and gloves on.
• Limit the mailroom’s access only to the designated employees.
• There should be no drinks or food in the mailroom to avoid any cross-contamination.
• Always be alert and ready for anything.
Whether from the post office or delivered to the door, all mail that comes to the facility has to go through various screening stages. Before handling or screening any packages, employees should have gloves, safety glasses, and masks on.
X-ray screening
X-ray screening should be the first step of package screening in the organization because it helps the people with a rough idea of what exactly is in the box. X-ray detection helps the mail handlers have a rough idea of what is in the box, the size, and the number of items.
This stage will also help identify any suspicious metal or glass items in the packages. The X-ray machine should be monitored by a bomb expert, who can identify any bombs or explosives in the box.
If the bomb expert inspecting the box finds it to be suspicious, it should put the box aside and notify the appropriate onsite personal.
Physical screening
After passing X-ray detection, the packages should then be examined physically by people in the mailroom. That will help identify any suspicious aspects of the items that the first step would have missed.
Once the packages have passed the first and second screening stage, they can be deemed safe to open. Any suspicious packages identified in both stages should be put aside for special screening.
Signs of a suspicious package
There are different sources of package threats, including bio-hazards, chemicals, and explosives. When handling those malicious packages, the employees should be cautious. There are several indications of a suspicious package, including;
• Leaking, discolorations, stains, or crystallization on the outside of the box.
• Protruding wires.
• Strange smell.
• Unfamiliar return address.
• No return address.
• Bulky or rigid.
• Misspelled words.
• Badly taped.
• Excess wrapping or postage.
• Uneven or lopsided package.
• Ticking sounds.
• Package labeled ‘private,’ ‘personal,’ or ‘confidential.’
The employees handling the mail should also contact the recipient stated on the box and ask if they were expecting a package from the sender. If not, that is a red flag.
If they were expecting a package, they should be asked what it was, and the people inspecting should try to see if it matches the descriptions, using x-ray machines.
How to handle suspicious packages
There are several ways that the mail personnel can handle suspicious packages to keep themselves and the other people in the facility safe from its content.
• Isolate the package(s).
• Report the incident to the manager or supervisor immediately.
• Follow the organizations’ internal protocol.
• Do not open the package.
• Do not smell, taste, or shake the package.
• Do not place the package in a confined space like a desk.
• Open all the windows in the room, especially if the box is leaking. That will ensure that there is enough air circulation to avoid the accumulation of any dangerous gasses in the room.
• Remove the gloves used to handle the package and dispose of them properly.
• Wash your hands with running water or hot water and soap.
• If the building is co-owned, inform the other people in the building or the other owners.
• Inform the building management.
• Do not let anyone in that room.
• Call the proper authorities.
Before the authorities arrive, ensure that you have all the receipts and paperwork associated with the package. That will make it easier for them to trace where the package came from and who it was being delivered to.
Afterward, the employees who handled the suspicious package should be given a chance to see a doctor for a physical examination if they came into contact with any dangerous materials or inhaled any hazardous gasses.
To ensure that all package handling and screening are done well, the organization should ensure that they train all employees on how to properly conduct the screening.
They should also periodically evaluate and monitor the handling processes and the security of the mailroom. To do that, they should identify any package vulnerabilities. They should also assess the current processes and workflow in the mailroom to identify any gaps.
Based on the package vulnerabilities and gaps in the workflow and processes, the organization should develop recommendations. A log for all the packages should also be kept on paper and in a soft copy where it is easier to retrieve. That will ensure that it will be easier to track all the packages from when they were received.
It also helps identify if any similar package has ever been received in the organization and what was done about the previous similar packages.
Organizations should ensure that they have security measures installed in the organization like CCTV cameras. That will help in identifying all the processes that all packages went through.
It can also identify how the mail got there if it was not from the post office. This will help the organization and the authorities take the proper precautions in determining what exactly is in the box and apprehend the sender if necessary.
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