<p>Be wary of suspicious packages and letters. They can contain explosives, chemical or biological agents. Be particularly cautious at your place of employment.</p><p>Some typical characteristics postal inspectors have detected over the years, which ought to trigger suspicion, include parcels that:</p><ul><li>Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.</li><li>Have no return address, or have on that can’t be verified as legitimate.</li><li>Have protruding wires or aluminum foil, strange odors, or stains.</li><li>Show a city or state in the postmark that doesn’t match the return address.</li><li>Are of unusual weight given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped.</li><li>Are marked with threatening language.</li><li>Have inappropriate or unusual labeling.</li><li>Have excessive postage or packaging material, such as masking tape and string.</li><li>Have misspellings of common words.</li><li>Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.</li><li>Have incorrect titles or titles without a name.</li><li>Are not addressed to a specific person.</li><li>Have hand-written or poorly typed addresses. </li></ul><p>With suspicious envelopes and packages other than those that might contain explosives, take these additional steps against possible biological and chemical agents.</p><ul><li>Refrain from eating or drinking in a designated mail handling area.</li><li>Place suspicious envelopes or packages in a plastic bag or some other type of container to prevent leakage of contents. Never sniff or smell suspect mail.</li><li>If you do not have a container, then cover the envelope or package with anything available (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and do not remove the cover.</li><li>Leave the room and close the door, or section off the area to prevent others from entering.</li><li>Wash your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder to your face.</li><li>If you are at work, report the incident to your building security official or an available supervisor, who should notify police and other authorities without delay.</li><li>List all people who were in the room or area when this suspicious letter or package was recognized. Give a copy of this list to both the local public health authorities and law enforcement officials for follow-up investigations and advice.</li></ul> 2008-03-05T15:48:51-06:00 22 2008-03-05T15:48:51-06:00