Darkness & Safety
With day light savings time ending on November 7th, we will have shorter daylight hours to deliver the mail. Combined with later start times, carriers once again will be dealing with delivering mail in the dark.
So, what is safe? “Safe” depends on you and your route. There is no blanket policy about delivering mail after dark, because the very core issue to contend with is whether a particular carrier on a particular route can safely make a delivery. Bottom line: Each carrier must weigh individual circumstances about the type of delivery to be carried (door to-door walking, mounted, apartments, cluster boxes, dismount, etc.), surroundings (unfamiliar, high crime, many steps and hills, etc.) and past-experiences with after-dark deliveries.
Arbitrators have ruled that darkness in and of itself is not unsafe! Darkness can contribute to an unsafe situation. For example: You are on a walking route, it is not well lighted, and you trip over a crack in the sidewalk and a few feet later, you stumble over something else. You may want to declare that relay as unsafe and move to the next relay. As you deliver on the next relay, the same rule applies.
If it is well lighted, then deliver the mail, if you stumble due to poor lighting, then stop. Move to the next relay. Document it and tell your supervisor when you return to the office.
There are several things you can do to keep safe while delivering when it is dark. If you are on a walking route and it is not well lighted, then you don’t cut across lawns. You want to walk where it is safe and you can see your surroundings. According to Article 41, section, 3(N): “Letter carriers may cross lawns while making deliveries if customers do not object and there are no particular hazards to the carrier.” You probably cannot finger the mail while walking since you may not be able to see the addresses well enough or the safety obstacles. Additionally, if it is not well lighted, you cannot see where you are walking with your peripheral vision, so you need to watch where you are walking.
You can have problems delivering on cluster box routes, dismount and mounted delivery due to darkness as well. If you must turn on the overhead light to sort the mail for delivery, you may need to let your eyes adjust to the dark again before driving to the next box (safety). For a cluster box, there may not be enough light to sort the mail at the box, and you may have to sort it at the truck and then head for the boxes to make the delivery (inefficient). Dismount delivery is similar to a walking route in the respect that you may not be able to sort the mail while you walk to the mailbox (safety).
With management’s plan that they still need to pivot routes or assign you overtime on another route you may be delivering in the dark on a route you are not familiar with. Everyone needs to case in the dog warning cards daily. It becomes more difficult to tell where the barking dog is when it is dark! You are the only one who can keep yourself safe.
If you choose to bring back the mail, let your supervisor know. You will need to be able to defend the decision with specific safety problems on the territory you brought back. You will have to fill out PS Form 1571 Undelivered Mail Report on the mail that you brought back and the reason why. This article is not to supersede any past practices in your local agreement.
It is important to note it is not the intent of any letter carrier to endorse or encourage the unnecessary curtailment of any mail. It is about each carrier’s safety and the protection of the mail in our charge and management’s responsibility to manage. This is also not a blanket policy or approach. It very simply is the responsibility of each carrier to measure safety and report to your supervisor(s) any unsafe conditions met. It is management’s responsibility to provide a safe environment! You can also fill out a PS form 1767 when you return to the office.
I would like to wish all my union brothers and sisters and their families a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!
