Protecting Mail from rain and Snow
Date: September 14th, 2018
The brave postal workers walk for hours to deliver mail regardless of the weather conditions. Delivering letters and parcels during rain and snow is a challenging task, but mail carriers sincerely perform their duties.
However, this doesn’t change the fact that rainy weather is the worst nightmare of postal workers. Not only does it create various safety risks, but rainwater also damages the letters. This is the reason why some mail carriers having US postal jobs refuse to work during harsh weather conditions.
Although postal services strive to deliver the mail on time irrespective of the weather, they allow workers to apply for an exemption if they believe it’s unsafe to go outdoors.
It’s best to refrain from delivering mail during a storm, but if it regularly rains in your area, it may not be possible for you to avoid working for long.
There’s nothing you can do about rain, but you should follow safety tips to stay safe during the extreme weather. This will reduce the risk of slips and falls.
A major concern for postal carriers is that mail tends to get wet due to rainfall. Here are some tips to protect mail from getting wait when it rains:
·Use a Waterproof Satchel
Some postal services in the US provide mail carriers with a waterproof bag. It helps them deliver dry mail even during wet weather.
However, the use of waterproof satchels isn’t common. However, mail carriers can purchase a suitable bag with their uniform allowance to facilitate customers.
·Wear a Raincoat
It’s a common practice to wear a raincoat. It protects mail carriers from rain and thereby, makes it easier for them to deliver mail in harsh weather.
However, a raincoat usually proves ineffective in keeping mail wet and dry. Knowing that it wasn’t your fault, your supervisor won’t reprimand you for delivering wet and often damaged letters, but it is inconvenient for customers. The letters or documents may become useless for them if the content isn’t readable due to rainwater.
Fortunately, the US postal services have introduced rain gear for postal carriers. You can use your uniform allowance to get this gear. It’ll protect you from the consequences of rain such as flu and fever and also assist you in delivering mail without getting it wet.
Responsibilities of Customers
Although mail carriers with US postal office jobs should take preventive measures to ensure that mail doesn’t get wet in rain, it‘s also the responsibility of customers to keep the mailbox in good condition.
What if the mail carriers come to your house to deliver mail, but they can’t do so since the ice and snow around the mailbox prevents access. Under these circumstances, they won’t deliver the mail.
Sometimes, mail can get wet after it’s delivered to your mailbox. You should use a protective cover to avoid this issue.
In 2017 alone USPS delivered 149.5 billion mails across the country with the help of thousands of mail carriers. However, it’s a major concern for customers that mail gets wet during rain and snow. The postal service should adopt modern methods to control this problem at the earliest.