Physical Security: Mail Room Safety

A large number of the issues are individualized as most mail-related incidents are the result of:

• Personal revenge
• Relationship issues
• Jaded employees
• Scorned business partners

But, that’s not always the case and there are other reasons as well.

Depending on your business or organizational structure, your external threats may expand beyond those listed above.

• Do you have international or foreign offices, overseas business relationships, and overseas suppliers?
• Do you operate in a geopolitical climate with civil unrest and increased terroristic activities? If it’s not your company, it could be happening with countries you are connected to.
• Does your organization have a history of issues with difficult or jaded employees? Is your human resource department constantly fielding reports related to ongoing issues within the workplace? If your organization going through an unpopular restructure, layoffs, or other negatively received change, workplace violence should be a concern.
• How about being in the center of public controversy? Is your organization centered around issues, politics, products, or personalities, who draw negative attention from the public?

All of these are potential reasons an outside threat may want to target your organization. The question remains, just how vulnerable are you?

In reality, you’re probably not very likely to be at risk from a credible physical threat. However, the consequences of a legitimate incident could be devastating.

Mail screening prevents more than just violence

A large portion of these mail-related incidents are non-credible in terms of violence and are usually meant to scare, harass, or intimidate.

These types of issues can have negative consequences as well. Think of side effects such as:

• Evacuations
• Lost work hours
• Employee stress
• Operational disruptions
• Negative publicity

With these things in mind, a thorough risk assessment related to mail screening and security is paramount to your organization. To name a few, your organization needs to make sure it evaluates:

• Mailroom structure
• Organization
• Physical location
• Alarm consideration
• Surveillance equipment
• High-value control procedures
• Employee screening
• Employee access
• Public access
• Screening methods
• Response protocol

The list goes on and on. A comprehensive review will cover all of these issues plus many more. It will help identify your level of risk and the appropriate response to mitigate those concerns.

The solution could be as simple as implementing a new system to log employee activity, or it could be more complex consisting of CBRNE inspections and screening, x-ray operations, and more.

A strong mail security and screening program can not only protect your employees and your assets, but it can also work as a deterrent as well.

Make sure your organization has a solution in place that addresses potential risks in a logical manner.