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Winter weather makes work difficult and potentially hazardous for postal workers in Billings

Posted at 4:46 PM, Jan 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-17 14:50:20-04

BILLINGS- With around a foot of new snow falling on Billings roads this week, crews are working hard to plow residential streets. Crews from FirstMark made it to the last zone of the city Friday morning.

All that snow getting pushed to the side of the road can end up impeding the working space for postal workers.

For most of us, the wintry conditions are something we contend with on the way to work and then forget about until the drive home. But postal workers drive, walk and sometimes slide through it all day.

According to the U.S. Postal Service website, slips and falls are the number one type of workplace accident for postal carriers.

Billings Postmaster Todd Snyder said in a press release that “the Postal Service treats safety and service with equal priority. “That’s why we remind you to include that mailbox in your snow removal routine.”

Snyder said the ideal snow clearing for roadside mailboxes is a half moon shape that offers USPS drivers good visibility and the ability to deliver mail without leaving the vehicle and without having to reverse to get from house to house.

Residents should ensure that walkways, stairs, and overhangs are free from snow and ice.

USPS.com says that “mail delivery service may be delayed or curtailed whenever streets or walkways present hazardous conditions to our carriers and/or vehicles. The Postal Service curtails delivery only after careful consideration, and only as a last resort.”