Many people are so used to sending and receiving email as a default that they do not think about the potential dangers of snail mail. The truth is that the mail you receive on a daily basis could be tampered with, and you would not know until someone was injured. This is where mail screening equipment can come in handy.
There Are More Parcels and Small Packages Moving Around than You Might Think
Yes, it is true that email is pervasive, but it is also true that there is an ever-increasingly high number of purchases people are making only. By the end of the year, experts predict ecommerce sales as high as $5 trillion – which makes up about 17.5% of all retail sales. That is a lot of parcels and packages that could potentially be contaminated.
Why is Mail Considered Dangerous?
Because anyone can send it and the risk of detection is generally very low. Carriers are able to do very little screening, so it is up to companies to do so. For example, the United States Bomb Data Center claims that incidents involving packages and parcels with explosives went up 99% from 2017 to 2018.
Today there are even issues with “last mile” deliveries in which persons in unmarked cars, vans, or other vehicles might drop off a parcel at a residential or company door. These people are often not in uniform and are outsourced by the company sending the package. This makes it even harder to determine if a package is safe.
Intra-Office Mail Can Also Be a Real Problem
If you have intra-office or intra-campus mail, it can be particularly vulnerable to issues. Why? Because even if it is screened when the mail comes in, it is rare for it to be screened once it’s inside. Any envelope or parcel that is transported internally in an open container can easily be tampered with by a disgruntled employee or student.
The True Risks of Biological and Explosives in Mail
While the most obvious serious risk is explosives, there are other threats that can cause other serious risks and costs. You can incur significant costs when you have to deal with a mail threat. In some cases, this could involve closing down a facility for days just to determine if the mail is even a threat.
You also have the risk of psychological trauma for your employees, as well as the loss of positive reputation that could result if it is determined that there were unsafe parcels in your mail.
The good news is that Square One Business Machines has the solutions you need to prevent these issues. We recommend you contact us at (972) 370-3664 right away if you need to assess your options and learn how to keep your employees safe.
