Driving and Working Safely

Every Postal Worker has the Right to a Safe Workplace

There is a contractual expectation that management will provide safe working conditions and ensure a safe and healthy work environment for postal workers. Because of the enormous and often dangerous equipment postal workers use to process, maintain, and transport mail, we must demand that our workplaces and the equipment we use are properly maintained so that we return home safe at the end of the day. In support of the Talk is Cheap: Safety Matters campaign, this column will address Motor Vehicle Service (MVS) safety.

Why Isn’t There a Grievance on Postal Vehicle Service Safety Vests?

The MVS Division has not fi led any national disputes over the mandatory use of safety vests.

Over the years, far too many Postal Service Vehicle (PVS) drivers, other postal employees, contractors, and pedestrians have been severely injured or killed during the performance of postal service duties. But it is very difficult to challenge that safety vests are not a safety enhancement.

The issue of safety vests should be addressed by local union officers and monitored and regulated at the local and district levels to be effective.

Wearing and maintaining safety vests should be discussed at local Safety and Health Committee meetings. If PVS drivers are required to wear vests on the docks and in the yard, then all employees who operate in the same space should— the rules should apply equally. Local unions should discuss the upkeep, repair, and replacement of safety vests with management since drivers constantly load, unload, and drive in them. Management should replace equipment as it becomes soiled, torn, or worn, so it doesn’t distract from the overall appearance of PVS uniforms.

As with so many other postal policies, safety rules are not implemented or enforced equally across the postal system. In some locations, management does not correct or address safety issues until something serious happens. How many times have PS Form 1767s not been returned or the issues corrected? The PS Form 1767 is designed to be completed in triplicate, with the employee retaining a copy for their records. Management must respond to this form within the employees’ work shift. If unsafe conditions cannot be abated immediately, management officials should, at a minimum, update employees on the abatement progress weekly.

Vehicle Maintenance Facility Safety and Training on Next Generation Delivery Vehicles

In Vehicle Maintenance Facilities (VMFs), we must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when performing duties in difficult, dangerous situations. Those situations may include battery-powered electric vehicles, where arc flash equipment is required to protect against high voltage electrocution. Proper, approved leather gloves over rubber gloves in addition to a face shield, rubber-soled boots, an arc flash-resistant jacket, and arc flash-resistant pants are required when working on battery-powered electric vehicles. There are special procedures for evaluating and testing PPE equipment before usage. Training for these procedures is provided at the NCED. PPE should be of good quality and used each time work is performed on high-voltage systems, including during training at the NCED. With the introduction of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) into the fleet, we must demand proper equipment and training to repair and maintain them; proper safety equipment must be used when repairing or operating all equipment in VMFs.

Forming local Safety and Health Committees, meeting in VMFs, and holding management accountable for safe workplaces are important ways to keep postal workers safe. Committee meetings should meet regularly, have formal agenda items, and include meeting minutes to record issues discussed between the parties. Article 14 of the union contract established a joint commitment to maintain a safe working environment. Everyone must play a part in ensuring a safe workplace, and the Safety and Health committees are crucial.

Work Safe and Drive Safe.