Safety

🦺 Safety Is Part of the Job

Letter carriers work outdoors, drive for a living, lift heavy trays, and deal with unpredictable conditions every day — dogs, traffic, weather, uneven sidewalks. Safety isn't a separate topic from the job; it's baked into every part of it. A carrier who gets hurt can't deliver mail, so protecting yourself is also protecting your route.

🚚 Vehicle Safety

• Complete a Vehicle Condition Report (VCR) before taking out an LLV or other postal vehicle — don't drive a vehicle with a known defect.
• Wear your seatbelt for every mile, including short hops between blocks.
• Set the parking brake and check your mirrors before dismounting on a delivery stop.
• Never leave a vehicle running and unattended with the door open longer than necessary.

🐕 Dog Safety

• Read the case and scanner notes for dog warnings before you reach an address.
• Never enter a fenced yard or gate uninvited, even if the dog looks friendly.
• Carry your dog spray and know how to use it — carriers are trained on this during onboarding.
• If a dog is loose or aggressive, skip the delivery, note it in the scanner, and report it to your supervisor.

🌡️ Weather and Environmental Hazards

• Heat: hydrate throughout the day, take shade breaks when you can, and know the signs of heat exhaustion (dizziness, heavy sweating, nausea).
• Cold and ice: watch your footing on icy steps and walkways; a slower, careful pace beats a fall.
• Storms: if lightning or severe weather rolls in, get to your vehicle and contact your station — no delivery is worth the risk.

🏋️ Lifting and Ergonomics

• Lift with your legs, not your back — bend your knees, keep the load close to your body.
• Don't overload your satchel or cart beyond what you can carry comfortably and safely.
• Ask for help with heavy parcels rather than straining alone.

📝 Reporting an Injury or Hazard

Report unsafe conditions and injuries the same day, even if they seem minor — an unreported strain today can become a bigger issue later, and a paper trail protects you either way.

• PS Form 1767 — report a hazard: a damaged vehicle, a broken sidewalk, an aggressive animal, anything unsafe.
• CA-1 — file for a traumatic, on-the-job injury.
• CA-2 — file for an occupational disease or exposure that develops over time.

Your shop steward can help you through any of these forms and make sure the report actually gets filed correctly. See Section 6: Safety, Labor Rights, and Grievance Process for more on your rights around injury reporting.