Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) is launching Dog Awareness Week w/c 21st of June to create awareness for the challenges postal staff and delivery drivers face daily on their rounds.
In the past 5 years over 50 dog attacks have been recorded at IOMPO, some leading to severe injury, medical treatment and extended sick absence for postal staff. Royal Mail records seven postal workers attacked by dogs every working day of the year. With increased demand for parcels on the Island, posties need to knock on doors more often than simply posting through the letterbox, so it is important to work with customers to ensure a safe working environment for postal colleagues and dogs.
Geoff Rickard, General Manager Mails IOMPO, said: “The safety of our staff is paramount to us, especially our posties delivering and collecting a growing number of parcels as they need to knock doors rather than simply post letters through letter boxes. In addition to training our posties we therefore need to work with our valued customers to raise awareness of potentially dangerous situations that can arise in certain circumstances.” He added “Most dogs are playful rather than dangerous but if they perceive a threat, some will react defensively which can lead to difficult situations. By following our guidance we can reduce stress for posties, dogs and their owners and reduce upset and injury.”
Since IOMPO have started raising awareness for these issues the number of dog attacks have gone down steadily and a few tips distributed in our doorstep delivery leaflet help to achieve a safe environment for all parties involved:
· Avoid having your dog roaming freely in the garden or on the street
· Secure your dog in a safe place when your postie is due
· Consider installing an external letter box
· If your dog likes to collect mail consider a letter box cage
· Please be aware of where your dog is when answering the door to a postie
For more information please visit our website at www.iompost.com/dog-awareness-week
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