What should you do with a prohibited gift from a postal customer or vendor? Always say “thank you,” and then you have a choice to make.
You may pay the gift giver the market value of the gift, or you may return it.
When you refrain from accepting prohibited gifts from an outside source, you strengthen the Postal Service’s reputation for transparency, fairness, and honesty.
And that’s smart business.
Contact the Ethics Office (ethics.help@usps.gov) for guidance – the ethics team routinely drafts gift-return letters.
Postal facilities should perform hazard assessments to identify safety and health hazards and determine whether OSHA personal protective equipment standards apply to the workplace. Conduct a walk-through survey. Review records such as accident logs, material safety data sheets and OSHA logs. Evaluate the effectiveness of existing job safety analyses. Get input from supervisors and affected employees. Review work tasks, equipment and facilities.
Hazard reassessments must be performed annually or as necessary, such as when new processes or equipment are introduced or when changes to existing protective equipment practices may be warranted.
And that’s smart safety!
For additional information or guidance, contact your safety office.
Power strips are just extension cords with multiple receptacles. So when you use them to plug in office equipment, remember that safety precautions for extension cords also apply for power strips. Additional precautions for power strips include:
Only use power strips that have a built-in circuit breaker that will trip if overloaded or shorted.
Plug appliances such as refrigerators, microwave ovens or wall air conditioning units into an electrical outlet — not a power strip
If a power strip feels hot, throw it away and replace it.
Don’t cover a power strip with a rug, furniture or any other item that blocks air circulation.
Don’t daisy chain — plug one power strip into another power strip.
When you use power strips correctly, you’ll get the extra outlets you need and prevent fires caused by overloaded circuits.
And that’s smart safety!
For additional information or guidance, contact your safety office.