The Postal Service is reminding employees that new social distancing procedures have been implemented to help protect workers who deliver mail during the coronavirus pandemic.
To reduce health risks, the organization has temporarily modified procedures for Mobile Delivery Devices (MDDs); Form 3811, Domestic Return Receipt; Form 3849, We ReDeliver for You; and any hard-copy receipt items that require customer signatures.
Until further notice, all letter carriers, rural carriers, city carrier assistants and rural carrier associates are required to avoid ringing doorbells when possible. Instead, the employee should knock on the customer’s door, avoiding areas that may be frequently touched.
When the customer opens the door, the employee must perform the following steps while wearing a face covering and maintaining 6 feet of distance:
• Request the customer’s first initial and last name.
• Using the MDD, scan the mailpiece barcode, select “Delivered” and answer the prompted questions. Enter the customer’s first initial and last name when prompted.
• When prompted for the customer to sign the MDD’s screen, the employee should instead print his or her own initials (not a signature), route number and notate C19.
For Return Receipts and other hard-copy items, employees must:
• Enter the customer’s first initial and last name in the form’s “Signature” box.
• For forms 3811 and 3849, employees should print their own initials (not a signature), route number and notate C19 in the “Received by” or “Printed Name” section, depending on the form.
• For Form 3849, scan the completed form following the normal process to finalize the delivery.
Additionally, employees should politely ask the customer to step back a safe distance or close the screen door while they leave the item in the mail receptacle or by the customer’s door.
If no one answers the door, employees should follow the normal notice-left process.
Employees should always follow other preventative measures such as proper handwashing, and maintaining social distancing whenever possible.
The Postal Service recently distributed a stand-up talk with the updated information.
