LTB 272/21 – Royal Mail Group Dog Attack Reporting Process
No. 272/21
30 June 2021
Our Ref: P18/21
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues,
Royal Mail Group Dog Attack Reporting Process:
As we approach the annual, national RMG/CWU ‘Dog Awareness Week and further to LTB 443/19, it has again come to our attention in the Health, Safety & Environment Department that many Delivery Office Managers are not aware of the correct, RMG Dog attack reporting process which was revised via national agreement and was introduced in July 2019. This has now been promulgated into the new format Royal Mail Safety Health and Environment Instruction 6.1. Attached for your information please find copies of:
- RMG SHE Instruction 6.1 Task and Workplace Risk Control Programme
- RMG SHE Instruction 6.1 Management of Dog Attacks Guidance Document
- RMG SHE Instruction 6.1 Dangerous Dog Reporting Process
- RMG SHE – Stay Safe – Dog Attack Risk Control Matrix v2.3
Dog Attacks continue to be the single highest accident and injury type in Royal Mail and result in many CWU members suffering significant injuries which in the most serious of cases can be life changing.
Detailed discussions continue to take place between the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department and the Royal Mail Safety, Legal and Security teams to monitor and improve how dog attacks are reported, investigated and evidence is gathered to enable criminal investigations to become more timely and effective and to facilitate the prosecutions, where appropriate, of irresponsible dog owners and/or other appropriate remedial actions following attacks.
All dog attack reports MUST now be promptly made to the RMG Security Helpdesk who will capture the information and record the details in their ‘SHEILD’ (Security Hub Investigation Event Logging Directory) database system before allocating the incident to the investigation team for a swifter response, both in offering support and taking the matter forward. This approach will ensure that accurate and timely information is captured for all dog attacks, on any RMG employees, while allocating the right resource to help build stronger, better evidenced prosecution cases.
This process will far more effectively provide Royal Mail security investigators and lawyers with prompt notice of all dog attacks to enable them to firstly start gathering ‘fresh’ evidence, secondly make contact with the Police force involved in order to set up liaison on cases and to press them and the Crown Prosecution Services to prosecute irresponsible owners where appropriate and to ensure cases are not either dropped or are dealt with inappropriately, for example via a ‘community resolution’ or simple ‘Police warning’.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this process is designed to ensure that Royal Mail’s lawyers can take out ‘Private Prosecutions’ against irresponsible dog owners, if need be, in cases where the Police or Crown Prosecution Service fail to prosecute for what RMG and CWU consider unacceptable reasons. To date, since the Health, Safety & Environment Department secured agreement with Royal Mail Group to take out private prosecutions, approximately 50 successful prosecutions of dog owners, securing criminal convictions, have taken place and more are currently proceeding through the courts.
The intelligence this approach provides will also enable the identification of high areas of risk and support the wider business approach of raising awareness with the public.
It will also provide evidence to support further opportunities to influence changes in the current legislation and enforcement which, going forward, we hope will safeguard and support members and reduce the number of these incidents.
As part of this year’s 2021 National RMG/CWU ‘Joint’ Dog Awareness Week we have agreed that this month, the revised dog attack reporting process, introduced two years ago, will be re-communicated.
The reporting process requires members who are dog attack victims and managers to follow some simple actions. This process will not change the way we report or investigate incidents but will add an addition to the current process.
It is vitally important that following a dog attack, managers must call the ‘Security Helpdesk’ to report all dog attacks. The ‘Security Helpdesk’ will obtain information allowing them to record it into their ‘SHEILD’ database system. Finally, all dog attacks must be recorded into the USO (Universal Service Obligation) SharePoint site.
To simplify and remove duplication, the old ‘DART’ and ‘DARP’ process were withdrawn 2 years ago as RMG Security will be holding all the required information in their ‘SHIELD’ system.
Important Note: All injuries from dog attacks still need an ERICA report form entry to be completed and submitted.
The dog attack reporting process is attached for your information and attention.
If you require any further information on these changes, please contact your RMG SHE Advisor/Business Partner.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
LTB 272/21 – Royal Mail Group Dog Attack Reporting Process
Dangerous Dog Reporting Process (SHEI 6.1) v1.6
Management of Dog Attack Guidance (SHEI 6.1) v1.5