COVID-19 Maintenance, Cleaning & Other Info

In this time of stress and uncertainty letter carriers safety and wellbeing should be of importance to all. Unfortunately in some instances the Postal Service has been slow or lacks the resources to adequately insure that each Post Office or facility has the supplies and ability to properly clean the workplace in order to reduce the risk of Letter Carriers and other Co-workers becoming infected with the Coronavirus. (COVID-19)

If your office lacks the necessary resources to adequately clean each office daily and or otherwise do not provide clean and safe vehicles, including sanitizing for letter carriers when they are out on the street then follow these instructions.

File a PS Form 1767, Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice if you believe that an unsafe or unhealthful condition exists in the workplace. All facilities should be adequately cleaned at least daily. Such cleanings should include sanitizing their case ledge, time clocks, scanners, vehicles, and all frequently touched surfaces. If this is not being performed by maintenance personnel, then USPS should be providing letter carriers with the supplies to do it and protect themselves. If this is not being done and any letter carrier feels that it is unsafe to work at a case, in a vehicle or any other place, a report of the condition should be completed on PS Form 1767 with their immediate supervisor and request an inspection of the alleged condition.

The immediate supervisor must promptly (within the tour of duty) investigate the alleged condition, initiate immediate corrective action or make appropriate recommendations, record his or her actions or recommendations on PS Form 1767, and forward the original PS Form 1767 and one copy to the next appropriate level of management. It is also required that the employee receive a copy signed by the supervisor as a receipt. The third copy of the form must be immediately forwarded to the facility safety coordinator. It is always the supervisor’s responsibility to monitor the status of the report until the hazard is corrected.

Letter carriers should put the responsibility of correcting these types of situations on their supervisors – it is their responsibility. If the situation is not corrected, we should be asking those supervisors what they would like us to do until it is resolved. If you are given other duties that are safe to perform while the hazard you reported is being corrected, you should follow that instruction. If you are instructed to work in the unsafe condition prior to it being corrected, immediately ask to speak to your shop steward. If your steward is not available, ask to contact a branch officer or NBA. Letter carriers should always insist on being provided a workplace that is as safe as possible, but the importance of cleanliness and sanitization is even more heightened as we work through this very tough time.

If management drags their feet in addressing any serious safety condition or a letter carrier is retailed by a supervisor or manager for reporting a unsafe condition then a Formal Compliant can be made to OSHA.

The OSHA has a compliant form (OSHA-7) that can be found on the OSHA website. In addition, it should be noted that there is a OSHA office located locally here in Long Island. The address is 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 208 in Westbury NY 11590. The telephone Number for the Local OSHA office is 516-344-3344 and their Fax number is 516-344-3326. Please be sure to contact the Shop Steward or Branch Office as well when reporting an unsafe condition that is being ignored of by management or when a OSHA compliant is made to the local OWCP office.

In addition to contacting your shop steward, branch officer or NBA, NALC has a new resource for members to ask any questions about the COVID-19 pandemic: COVID19@nalc.org.

Lastly the Employee Assistance Program offers Counseling and referrals and is available 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Find out more at 1-800-EP4YOU. TTY: 877-492-73410.

In closing I would like extend my sympathies to anyone who may have lost a love one or friend during the Coronavirus pandemic, wish all those Carriers and family members who may have contacted the virus a full and speedy recovery and to everyone else my hopes that you will remain well and safe until the virus is eradicated.