When most people in Connecticut think about a dangerous job, they may conjure up images of construction work or being a police officer. It is highly unlikely that the first image that comes to mind is that of a United States Postal Service letter carrier. However, this profession contains its fair share of dangers. According to the United States Postal Service Inspector General, after an audit of Great Lakes Area facilities there was an injury rate of 17.9 per 100 employees.
So what do you think could be happening to these poor letter carriers for the statistics to be so high? Probably the most common injury is a motor vehicle accident. Remember that letter carriers are driving heavily as part of their job, and they may be driving slower than posted speed limit signs indicate if they need to slow down to put mail in a house’s box. Additionally, letter carriers do a lot of walking and thus are at risk for being hit by another vehicle.
Dealing with households that may be negligent in their property care also poses a risk. For instance, if a house does not stay on top of shoveling the sidewalk during the winter, this is a risk for a letter carrier.
Repetitive stress is also a common injury for letter carriers. A lot of letter carriers do a considerable amount of walking, and they also tend to carry their mail bag on one shoulder only.
Finally, the one injury that probably is the most expected: dog bites. Should a household not be properly containing its canine inhabitants, the mailman is the most likely target of the dog’s wrath.
