Chief Inspector Patrick Holdaway briefed IOC fellows this week.

Designed to ignite and burn during transit, one of these devices was recently returned to a warehouse where, as it was being processed, staff noticed the package showed signs of fire damage. This recent spate of devices being sent around the country has prompted security experts working for the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) to advise Couriers and delivery companies to issue specialist guidance to their staff.

The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) has comprehensive guidance to help businesses protect their staff against this threat – called PAS 97. PAS 97 is the current comprehensive guidance on mail screening and security, produced by CPNI in collaboration with the British Standards Institution (BSI), and with the assistance of a range of stakeholders. It aims to assist organisations in assessing the risks they face from postal threats, and in implementing appropriate screening and security measures, either internally or outsourced. Mail Screening Matters – CPNI’s mail screening and security campaign To increase the level of understanding and uptake of the information contained within PAS 97, CPNI has produced a range of guidance products on postal security.

The Mail Screening Matters campaign materials are aimed at a range of audiences, from general awareness products for non-mail handling staff, recognition and response guidance for front-line mailroom staff, to convenient materials for security managers who are assessing and implementing screening and security measures. General protective measures Although any suspect item should be treated seriously, remember that the great majority will be false alarms and a few may be hoaxes. Try to ensure that your procedures, while effective, are not needlessly disruptive. A properly conducted risk assessment should give you a good idea of the likely threat to your organisation and indicate precautions you need to take. Ensure that all staff who handle and open mail and other deliveries are and remain aware of the possible indicators that a delivered item may be of concern, and the appropriate action upon discovery of any suspicious delivered item. While this advice applies particularly to staff in post rooms, it is also relevant to all staff who may be the recipients of such items, as well as staff at entrances who may receive hand and courier delivered items. Encouraging regular correspondents to put their return address on each item, and in particular to provide advance warning of unusual items can help reduce false alarms.