12/20/2007 8:22:30 PM

Canada Post’s mailbox safety review elicits mixed feelings
by Laura MacLean
Dec 05, 2007

Tony Clement is speaking out about Canada Post’s decision to spend an estimated $475 million to $640 million over the next three years to conduct a rural mailbox safety assessment on the 843,000 mailboxes in Canada.

As Parry Sound-Muskoka’s MP as well as the Minister of Health and Minister of the Federal Economic Development Initiative, Clement said he’s doing all he can for constituents who are irked about the mailbox safety assessment.

“I’ve been getting calls from constituents telling me that it’s absurd,” said Clement in regard to people being informed by Canada Post that their mailboxes must be relocated, as it does not meet the company’s new safety criteria. “It’s an outrageously large amount of money and it raises the question are they legally obliged to do safety audits when the union launches a grievance?”

Previously, Canada Post had no safety criteria and, with the implementation of Bill C-45, which makes the company legally obligated to investigate safety concerns and to establish reasonable solutions, the criteria was established for the safety of the company’s mail carriers and customers.

The company reports that since 2006, three mail carriers have been killed while on the job and around 30 motor vehicle accidents involving mail carriers have occurred. The new safety criteria takes a number of factors into account, including how close mailboxes are located to the roadway, the type of road, legal restrictions such as if the mailbox is on a roadway with a single yellow line or double yellow lines, stop signs, traffic volume and speed limit, as well as view obstructions and the amount of time it takes for a vehicle to reach the mail carrier after coming over a hill or around a curve. The criteria take into account whether the mail carrier is able to pull off the road completely to deliver mail, or if the mailbox is in a position were the mail carrier cannot pull completely off the road.

Clement indicated that the Ontario Conservatives’ federal caucus is concerned about the issue and there have been discussions in previous meetings about the rural mailbox assessment.

“I’m reacting in two ways,” he said. “One is that I sent a formal letter to the ministry that Canada Post reports to outlining the complaints I’ve received from Parry Sound-Muskoka constituents. I’ve also demanded and received a meeting with senior Canada Post officials, which will occur in my constituency office on Dec. 19. I’m going to outline the complaints and ask for common sense.”

Noting that he understands Canada Post’s legal obligations to ensure the safety of mail carriers as well as customers, Clement called the safety assessment “a bit of a sham.”

“I don’t think the management is being sensible,” stated Clement. “The way management is pursuing it is nonsensical because what they are doing is making everyone who lives in rural areas miserable and they are declaring roads unsafe without much evidence. It’s an expensive sham that’s getting many of my constituents upset and I’m on their side. I can tell you there may be other options open to Canada Post that would enhance safety without cutting service.”

Andy Paterson, communications manager for Canada Post, stated that the estimated costs for Canada Post to conduct the rural mailbox safety review is covering the costs of the company having to hire hundreds of contract workers across Canada to perform the safety reviews on all 843,000 rural mailboxes in Canada.

“The estimated cost covers the whole assessment process,” stated Paterson, adding that Canada Post is looking at potential costs to purchase right-hand drive vehicles. “Aside from hiring hundreds of contractors across the country, we’ve also shifted some people within Canada Post to supervise these people. We are taking this very seriously. We’re hiring people, getting them the proper safety training and certification.”

The hired contract workers, Paterson said, are working alongside Canada Post employees to assess the 843,000 mailboxes and then finding safer locations for mailboxes that don’t meet the company’s safety criteria, referring people to community mailbox sites or suggesting mail be delivered to the post office.

“We’re working with municipalities for (community mailbox) sites, which must first be approved by the municipality,” Paterson indicated. “Out in the country, in rural areas, sometimes there are no convenient spots. Many times we have to build a vehicle pull-over so that customers picking up their mail are completely off the road.”

Paterson also stated that in areas like Huntsville, there are often no shoulders on roadways and this leads to having to put in a culvert, place gravel over top of it and possibly pave it to municipal standards.

“This project is being audited by the government to make sure the money is being spent wisely,” he noted. “This is a huge cost to Canada Post.”