Workplace issues

Safety and Health resources

Safety & Health columns in The Postal Record, by topic

Safety responsibilities

January 2011 – Greetings for a new year
August 2011 – Keep a watchful eye on each other
December 2011 – The EHS system
May 2012 – What's up on the Hill?
January 2013 – Write it up! (reporting hazards)
June 2013 – I am a victim of circumstances
September 2013 – Are you setting an example at work?
March 2014 – Your union needs you
May 2015 – Safety Committee duties
Sept.-Oct. 2016 – Management hijacked the safety captain program
October 2017 – Increased parcel workload
March 2018 – Is safety a real priority?
April 2018 – To call or not to call – that is the question
May 2018 – Distractions, distractions, distractions
October 2018 – Lack of recognition for safe drivers takes its toll on morale
January 2019 – Time to rewire management's commitment to safety
November 2020 – Safety depends on USPS management
July 2021 – Safety committees
August 2021 – 'But I reported it'
January 2022 – Emergency action plans
July 2022 – When management ignores a hazard
December 2022 – Emergency action plans

Working environment

March 2011 – The voice of the employee
August 2011 – Keep a watchful eye on each other
October 2011 – Abuse on the workroom floor continues
January 2012 – Bargaining with management
July 2012 – Keeping an eye on each other
August 2012 – Keeping an eye on each other, continued
October 2012 – Keeping an eye on each other, continued
October 2013 – Tune in to each other on the workroom floor
January 2014 – Making the numbers is no excuse
September 2015 – Dignity and respect
November 2015 – Be a hero to new employees
October 2017 – Increased parcel workload
December 2017 – Hey, they’re ganging up on me
January 2018 – A New Year's resolution to change our working relationships
July 2019 – The pressure cooker we're in, Part 1
August 2019- The pressure cooker we’re in, Part 2
December 2019 – My supervisor distracted me!
June 2021 –  Hey, Boss: Why won’t you honor the Joint Statement on Violence?
November 2021 – Protecting your right to dignity and respect
September 2023 – A call for humane employee treatment 
October 2023 – A call for humane employee treatment

Click here to download a PDF of Dir. Peralta’s “Dignity & Respect” workshop PowerPoint presentation from NALC’s 2015 Rap Session in Houston.

Vehicle safety

April 2012 - Are your park points safe?
March 2012 – NALC safety task force
January 2013 – Write it up
May 2013 – Accident investigation
July 2013 – Park points revisited
August 2013 – Seat belts save lives
May 2014 – Preventing vehicle fires
August 2014 – Vehicle fires revisited
March 2015 – A life and a family’s happiness saved—seatbelts do work
June 2015 – Vehicle fires (continued)
August 2015 – Rust is not a friend
January 2016 – In memory of Alton Cargile Hall III
March 2017 – La palanca
June 2017 – Really?
September 2017 – Vehicle repairs and maintenance
October 2017 – Increased parcel workload
June 2019 – ProMaster: To see or not to see
January 2020 – Vehicle fires, continued
March 2023 – ProMaster recall, continued

Contract Talk January 2019- Vehicle fires in an aging fleet

Weather-related safety

April 2013 – In memory of John Watzlawick
June 2014 – Important safety updates
November 2014 – OSHA judge comes through
December 2014 – Winter is just around the corner
January 2015 – Remembering Leo
October 2015 – The brutal summer behind us
December 2015 – Keeping safe out there in the cold
May 2016 – Preparing for the heat of summer
June 2016 – Recent OSHA citations
August - September 2018 – The heat is on, revealing management's true colors
December 2018 – Keeping vigilant in politics and on the job
March 2019 – Fire and ice
May 2019 – USPS contests heat-safety violations
September 2019- Promises not kept - HIPP Training
June 2020- Summer is knocking on our door
May 2021- Heat-related warnings and rulings
December 2021 – Proposed new rules for protecting workers
May 2022 – OSHA heat safety
April 2023 – Heat illness prevention
July 2023 – OSHA proves carriers were exposed to heat hazard
August 2023 – The tragedies were preventable

Contract Talk May 2018- Heat-related safety

EAP

May 2011 – How the EAP can help and how we can help
April 2014 – OSHA 300A logs
September 2014 – In memory of James P. Byrne
April 2015 – EAP: help when you need it most—confidentially
April 2017 – April a reminder to focus on workers’ physical and emotional safety
April 2019 – EAP is there for you 
September 2020 – September is National Suicide Awareness Month
September 2021 – September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month
April 2024 - April is EAP Awareness Month

Contract Talk December 2017 – Common questions and answers about the Employee Assistance Program

OSHA

June 2012 – Bravo, Senator Harkin
November 2012 – Reporting injuries and retaliation
April 2013 – In memory of John Waltzlawick
April 2014 – OSHA 300A logs
June 2014 – Important safety updates
July 2015 – Are we abating hazards or blaming behavior?
October 2016 – The Importance of Root Cause Analysis During Incident Investigation
November 2018 – It behooves us all to keep track of the OSHA 300 Log for injuries
October 2019 – Discouraging injury reporting
December 2023 – Whistleblower Protection following an accident/injury

Accident investigation

May 2013 – Accident investigation
July 2015 – Are we abating hazards or blaming behavior?
October 2016 – The Importance of Root Cause Analysis During Incident Investigation
November 2017 – The blame game
September 2019 – Promises not kept
July 2021 – Safety committees
January 2024 – Investigating accidents, finding the true cause
March 2024 – Accident investigation, continued

Improper records and discipline

June 2022 – Improper use of information against you
January 2023 – Conversion to career cleans the slate
May 2023 – Investigation of discipline for a safety infraction

Training records

September 2022 – Challenging management’s commitment to safety
November 2022 – Investigation of training records

Ergonomics

July 2011– Ergonomics
July 2017 – Ergonomics
March 2023 – Ergonomics

General

June 2011 – Is the cost of safety too high?
September 2011 – Delivering for America
March 2013 – Thank you, President Sombrotto
November 2013 – Discipline does not work
December 2013 – You are your most important delivery
March 2016 – What is this CARE program you are hearing about?
April 2016 – Do you really care about my safety?
October 2017 – Increased parcel workload
November 2017 – The blame game
December 2017 – Hey, they’re ganging up on me
June 2018- Management breaks its promise on the CARE program 
December 2020 – Elections and the future of safety
June 2023 – Customers can be our greatest safety risk
November 2023 – It's management's job to protect you from harm

Reference materials

USPS Publications

Resources

Federal government sites

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Environment Health Sciences (NIEHS)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
National Library of Medicine
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Safety and Health Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Other organizations

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
American Red Cross
National Academy of Sciences
National Safety Council
World Health Organization

Help for crime victims

Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, 202-307-5983
National Organization for Victim Assistance, 1-800-879-6682

Disaster Relief Foundation