LTB 432/14 NEW "DOG AWARENESS POSTCARDS"

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LTB 432/14 ROYAL MAIL/CWU - DOG AWARENESS WEEK 30 JUNE-4 JULY 2014 - NEW "DOG AWARENESS POSTCARDS"

No. 432/14

Ref P18/14

Date: 1 July 2014


To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

ROYAL MAIL/CWU - DOG AWARENESS WEEK 30 JUNE-4 JULY 2014 - NEW "DOG AWARENESS POSTCARDS"

Further to LTB 413/14 which gave a detailed update and information prior to this week's Dog Awareness Week Launch here is an report on the new Royal Mail/CWU Dog Awareness Postcards.

I would urge all ASRs and WSRs to become actively involved during the week and concentrate attention to the week's activities, messages and communications to staff, and customers adding support. The 2014 Royal Mail/CWU Dog Awareness Week is launched today with a joint embargoed press release and will be a high profile awareness raising campaign aimed at Royal Mail customers who are dog owners and our own delivery staff members. The annual Dog Awareness campaign's aim is to raise understanding of the issue of dog attacks on postmen and women with a purpose of avoiding and reducing the high number of serious injuries sustained by postal workers across the UK. Royal Mail and CWU will be working in partnership to encourage responsible dog ownership and to appeal to dog owners to keep their animals under control when the postman or woman calls to deliver letters, packets and parcels or 'signed for' items.

Royal Mail/CWU Dog Awareness Postcards


Following feedback from last year's 'Dog Awareness Week' a Dog Awareness postcard has been developed which can be sent to customers in areas where dog attacks are a regular problem. This postcard has been on trial across the country and proved

to be successful in raising awareness amongst dog owners of the risks faced by postal staff. Supplies can be ordered through the Regional Safety Teams who will need to raise a local purchase order. The dog awareness postcards were initially being trialled by offices in high impacting postcode areas in the regions. The aim of the postcards is to try and proactively influence the customers' behaviour and help to reduce dog attacks. The units who were involved in the trial were asked to deliver a postcard to every residential address in their respective areas. However, where delivery staff are 100% sure there is no dog at an address they can choose not to deliver the postcard to that address. The postcards were jointly developed by Royal Mail, Parcelforce, CWU and the Dog Trust and have been produced to help protect the frontline staff and as a proactive communication. Royal Mail HQ have informed us that the Regions have successfully bid for funding for the postcards and around 2 Million will be available for delivery during Dog Awareness Week and beyond if necessary. The aim will be to target high impact areas and Delivery Offices with higher numbers of Dog Attacks.

A pdf copy of the RM/CWU Dog Awareness postcard and copy of the ordering process are attached.


Why This Week?

The number of dog attacks peaks during the summer school holidays and we annually see a sharp increase in dog attacks on delivery A third of all dog attacks on Postal Workers occur during the months of June, July and August.

Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union will be appealing to dog owners to work with them to help keep their animals under control when the postman/woman calls to deliver mail, packets, parcels and signed-for items, during the school holidays this summer.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety and Environment Officer