LTB 309/23 - Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY23 021 - 'Dog Attacks'

[POSTMAN]

LTB 309/23 – Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY23 021 – ‘Dog Attacks’
No. 309/2023

27 November 2023

Our Ref: P18/23

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY23 021 – ‘Dog Attacks’:

Introduction, Background and Description:

Royal Mail Group’s Safety Team have issued ‘RMG SHE Safety Flash FY23 021’ following a very serious dog attack in which the victim postman/OPG sustained significant, serious injuries on 10 October 2023.

In summary (and as detailed in the attached RMG SHE Flash FY23 021 – entitled ‘Dog Attack’), a large dog, known to the duty holder postman/OPG ferociously attacked and injured the victim. The postman/OPG had arrived at the property concerned with mail items to deliver. He saw the dog on a lead by the front door but could not see inside the door and if anyone was at the end of the lead or if the dog was secured and tied up. The postman/OPG opened the gate and entered the property, upon which the dog which was unsecured, leapt forward and launched a ferocious attack on him.

Despite this dog being known to the postman/OPG, it had not been reported to a line manager to be included on the ‘Offsite Risk Assessment’ (ORA).

Instead, the postman had wrongly come to an agreed arrangement with the customer/dog owner concerned which was to enter the property and leave the mail on the floor about ten feet away from the house front door, if the dog was present. This was a totally wrong approach and an inappropriate solution to agree with a customer.

Under RMG’s ‘zero-tolerance’ approach, the postman should never have entered the premises, if a large dog was seen to be present and loose or potentially loose. The customer should have either put the dog away and secured it in a room from where it couldn’t get out or if the customer/dog owner wishes to let their dog roam freely on their property, then they should fit an exterior mail box on the property’s perimeter fence or wall etc., in order to keep the postmen and women safe from possible dog bites and attacks.

The postman/OPG should never have accepted any assurances from the customer/dog owner or made any such ‘informal’, extraordinary arrangements with the customer/dog owner and he should not have entered a premises with this large dog in full view, whether it was on a chain, lead, rope, strap etc., or not.

Full details and learning points are contained in the ‘SHE Flash FY23 021- Dog Attack’, copy attached.

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