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Dave Joyce, CWU's National Health, Safety & Environment Officer has issued a letter to all Postal Constituency members (LTB177/22) regarding a recent incident involving faulty garden gates, leading to a seriously viscous dog attack. The postwoman/OPG member in Sheffield received multiple horrific injuries in the attack. As a result Royal Mail Group have issued an urgent Safety and Health Enforcement notice to all its mail delivery staff highlighting the circumstances of the incident and precautionary and subsequent actions that should be taken. Dave writes:
The above was in fact the second recent serious dog attack in the Sheffield postcode area and in the other incident another postwoman/OPG member had a finger bitten off and a second finger damaged whilst pushing mail through a letterbox. The dog remained silent prior to the attack, giving no warning. The same dog had bitten a postman/OPG twelve months prior to this incident. The postwoman who was injured was covering the delivery round and was unaware and not informed that the address concerned had a ‘Delivery Suspension’ in place! Police investigations and internal Royal Mail/CWU joint investigations are both underway. The CWU Area Health and Safety Representative is fully involved locally in the investigation and the CWU/HQ Health, Safety and Environment Department involved nationally. We are in close contact with our Branch ASR and in regular contact also with the Royal Mail Security Investigation team and Royal Mail Group Senior Lawyer and Legal Department, receiving regular updates. Dog Awareness: As indicated in LTBs 134/22 and 150/22, a detailed staff WTLL Briefing on dog awareness was produced in consultation with the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department to be delivered to the Delivery Office workforce in preparation for the reinstatement of PDA ‘Signed-For’ deliveries, reminding and raising awareness of all delivery staff to be vigilant at all times and to always take the safe course of action regarding dogs. Take no risks and take no assurances from dog owners either! Remember! There are 3000 dog attacks on postmen and women every year. Members need to be vigilant and aware of the risks that dogs pose and take no changes. Royal Mail and CWU agree that the safety of our delivery workforce is paramount, and dog awareness must be taken seriously. Remember!
The aim of both attachments to this LTB is to raise awareness of the dog risk and to urge members on delivery to always stay vigilant in order to do what we can jointly to minimise the risk of dog attacks on members and to promote the staff dog awareness ‘AVOID’ acronym message. The ‘AVOID’ message, outlined in the attached briefing is crucially important at this time – the message is: ‘AVOID and Stay Safe’ – Managers and Workplace Coaches have been requested to ensure that staff are thoroughly briefed on the importance of using ‘AVOID’ and being dog aware.
Key Messages, Learning Points and Activities – DOMs to take appropriate remedial action, brief and remind all delivery staff as follows:
Source: CWU / RMG See also: Horrendous Injuries From Dog Attack In Sheffiled Sustained By Postwoman.html For more information and advice regarding dog attacks, please go to the Unionsafety E-Library. Select search categories 'Dangerous Dogs' or 'Dangerous Dogs NI' if you live in Northern Ireland. Also: the Dog Awareness Briefing can be downloaded from the E-Library or by clicking on its image above.
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In this case the very aggressive dog violently broke through a garden gate and into the street, where it launched a vicious and devastating attack on the member. Although in this case the postwoman could do little to avoid the attack the Safety Flash has been released to once again raise awareness and raise the profile of the need for the delivery workforce to be vigilant and follow dog risk controls and safe systems of work in order to reduce the risk of dog attacks.
Raise Awareness – Be Vigilant