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November 22, 2001 By Jim Mimiaga Anthrax-laced mail will not likely end up in Southwest Colorado, postal officials report. In fact, sorting facilities for the Colorado and Wyoming postal district came up free of anthrax spores following extensive testing conducted on Nov. 11, officials said this week. But increased mail scrutiny as a result of a bio-terrorism campaign that relied on the U.S. Postal Service for delivery means stricter guidelines on what packages will be accepted this holiday season. And the way mail is being processed by companies in a climate of war could mean less privacy in the workplace when it comes to personal mail sent to the office. Some local companies and organizations have changed mailroom procedures to prevent potentially contaminated mail from harming workers or the public. Southwest Memorial Hospital, for instance, has implemented a policy to open every piece of mail it receives in a building separate from the hospital. The move is in response to anthrax-laced letters on the East Coast that have infected 18 people, killing at least three, including two postal workers and a photo editor. "We’re looking out for the same powdery substance everyone else is," said CEO Bob Peterson. Another anthrax victim, a hospital worker in New York City, died after contracting the disease from a source still unknown to investigators. And on Wednesday, a home-bound elderly woman from Connecticut died from a confirmed case of inhalation anthrax. The FBI has called that case "an anomaly," and where she picked up the deadly bacteria is a mystery, but infected mail is suspected. Hospitals are particularly vulnerable to bio-terrorism attacks or accidents because powerful air-exchange units intended to keep infection rates down could inadvertently circulate a biological agent throughout the building. "Moving it outside the main building allows us to have one employee take a quick peek for any powder and then send it back into the hospital for distribution," said Marc Meyer, Southwest Memorial’s pharmacist and safety officer. "If something happened while opening mail inside, the whole facility would have to be shut down." The employee checking the mail wears protective gloves, a gown and a HEPA mask, he said. The change at Southwest has some employees wondering if it is an invasion of privacy for companies to open personal mail prior to delivery to a desk or mailbox. "It is against the law, and some of us are concerned about privacy," complained one anonymous caller. But doing so is not against the law, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Legally, an organization’s mailroom has the freedom to open any mail addressed to it, although going beyond a cursory glance could cause problems. "If it is addressed to that particular place, then they can be opened by that company’s officials," said Al DeSarro, a spokesman at the Colorado headquarters of the U.S. Post Office. "Obviously if, say, an account number or something is read and later used then that would be a problem." DeSarro said it would be up to federal prosecutors to bring charges in such a case. If people are concerned, than they should not have personal mail sent to the office, he said. At the Re-1 school district, mail is not opened before it is sent to the recipient. Increased awareness of suspicious mail is stressed and mail-sorters have the option to wear protective gear, said superintendent Bill Thompson. Mail-sorters are also instructed to wash their hands after handling mail. Public-lands agencies like the BLM and the Forest Service do open mail beforehand as an administrative necessity, said spokesperson Toni Kelly. Doing so insures that requests for information and correspondence get delivered to the correct department. No extra precautions are being taken specific to mail-handling, she said, although there is a heightened sense of awareness. Pat Mitchell, postmaster for the Cortez branch, said his employees have the option to wear protective gloves and masks provided by the government, but no one has opted to use them. He said that a bio-hazard threat for Cortez is seen as too remote a possibility by workers. However, Mitchell said that suspect packaging "we used to turn a blind eye to" like the use of bleach boxes will no longer be accepted at the retail counter. DeSarro assured the public that the mail is safe to use, pointing out that since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, 35 billion pieces of mail have been delivered, but only four letters showed up infected with anthrax. "Please mail," he implored. "Some customers are saying they do not want to burden the post office, but the best thing is to keep the faith in us and mail more than ever because we depend on that volume to make it." The post office offers organizations training in spotting and dealing with suspicious packages. An informative video about improving mailroom security is also available by calling 1-800-STAMP24. Suggestions for holiday mailing Safety standards and suggestions offered by the U.S. Postal Service as a result of recent bio-terrorism attacks via the U.S. mail:
The post office is experiencing some delays due to FAA restrictions on delivering mail on commercial airlines. Extra handling and mail scrutiny are also time-consuming.
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Copyright © 2001 the Cortez Journal.
All rights reserved. |
