GAO urges better training for handling suspicious US mail

The Postal Service needs to develop more detailed training to prepare its workers to handle suspicious mail more carefully, the Government Accountability Office said Monday.

The GAO cited mistakes in the handling of a letter containing the poison ricin that was found in the Greenville, S.C. post office in October 2003.

The letter, which contained a sealed vial, was labeled “Caution: Ricin Poison,” GAO noted.

It said the letter was discovered around midnight and postal officials double wrapped it and removed it to an area away from workers, but did not call postal inspectors until the next day. Inspectors then called in local emergency officials and the letter was sent to the state health department and later to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

GAO said there was confusion about which rules to follow in handling the material. Rules for suspicious mail call for it not to be moved while rules for mail containing a specific hazard label differ.

Since the incident, the post office has made changes in its training and guidance to prevent such confusion, but GAO said more could be done.

“The Postal Service deserves credit for its efforts to make sure postal employees know what they need to do to identify and respond to suspicious mail, but clearly much more must be done,” said Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who had requested the report.

The GAO urged the Postal Service to:

-Provide guidance on what to do with mail that has characteristics both of suspicious mail and mail with a hazard warning.

-Expand training for managers and supervisors regarding suspicious mail.

-Provide more explicit guidance on communicating with employees and unions regarding such incidents.

Postal Senior Vice President Thomas G. Day responded that the agency is improving training and generally agrees with the suggestions. However, he cautioned that because of the many possibilities for terror attack it is not possible to design a set of hard and fast rules that take into account every potential situation.

Instead, Day said, the agency seeks to provide general instructions that will be widely applicable to many situations.