Posted By Lorraine Dyer
We have had a number of accidents reported where staff carrying out bag drops (posting plastic bags through letter boxes for donated clothing and then going back to collect them) have been bitten by dogs when putting their hand in the letter box.

I have been asked to draw up some guidance notes for staff on safe working practices when carrying out this task but have limited experience in this area. I contacted the post office and they operate on the basis that staff will be informed about problem houses and if the problems persists they will refuse to post letters.

Does anyone have any other advice?

Posted By Nick Higginson
Lorraine,

To a certain extent I agree with John.

I worked for a Meter Reading company for a long time and the readers were instructed in their initial training about the dangers of this practice.

It did come to the point where people were disciplined for continuing to put their fingers through letterboxes.

Other measures were investigated including snake-bite resistant gloves that were used in Australia!

The meter readers also carried "biteback" spray and a "Dazer", which was a device that generated a high pitched noise to repel any canine aggressors.

Regards,

Nick

Posted By Allan St.John Holt
As you may have guessed, dog bites are a serious issue at Consignia (yes, the name change doesn't come in until 4 November). It is said that we get around 2000 a month, although not very many wind up as RIDDOR reportables so the notification of 'little bites' is not too reliable. I'm told that posties do indeed know where nearly all the troublesome dogs are, so that it is comparatively easy to tell the owner to deal with the dog or pick their mail up from the delivery office. We don't yet have a national policy on this one, but it won't be long in coming.

I would agree that the solution where there is no pre-knowledge is to give advice on how to open the flap with one hand and push the item through with the other, not extending the fingers beyond the box's back.

Allan (currently Head of Safety, Consignia)

Posted By Graham Bullough
As a former newspaper delivery boy and a temporary Xmas postie during my student days I can sympathise with posties and others who have problems with dogs and fiercely sprung letter boxes today. It seems that letter box designs have not improved over the years, and have probably got worse with the advent of slimline styles to fit in the frames of double glazing type plastic doors. I wonder if there is any British Standard for letter boxes which covers aspects such as spring force and ease of use. If not do Consignia ("Post Office" preferred) and/or any other organisations try to influence companies, architects and others who have any involvement with the design and manufacture of letter boxes? If not, is there scope for a campaign to try to make such people and also householders think more about letter boxes and specify or ask for better designs? Obviously it won't have a rapid or major effect on the millions of letter boxes throughout the UK, but it ought to have some effect, perhaps with new homes and door replacements and start a drip-feed change in attitudes. Hence, as already mentioned, the use of the spatula/stick (similar principle as the push stick for woodworking machines) for existing ferocious dogs and letter boxes remains the best and simplest precaution.