LTB 238/18 – Royal Mail Elastic Bands – Strength, Quality and Safety Specification:

No. 238/2018

20 April 2018

Our Ref: C1/18

Royal Mail Elastic Bands – Strength, Quality and Safety Specification:

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Following a number of enquiries from CWU Area Health and Safety Reps reporting excessive snapping and failures regarding elastic bands, the matter was discussed with Royal Mail Assets and suppliers LC Packaging. The following details were given:-

LC Packaging Ltd supplies both sizes of band used by Royal Mail, which are manufactured to a Royal Mail specification.

Neither the specification nor band compound has changed since bands reverted from red back to natural colouring several years ago.

Bands have a shelf life of 12 months and degrade over time when exposed to UV light and moisture. The date of manufacture is printed on each box. Therefore if the boxes have been opened for a while they may start to lose their elasticity which is causing them to snap.

If units are having issues they should in the first instance return the box of bands (with the box) to LC Packaging for testing, and they should be sent to Andrew Bell, Quality Assurance Manager at the address below, with a brief description of how the bands are being used when they break:-

Andrew Bell
Quality Assurance Manager
LC Packaging United Kingdom Ltd
Old Wharf Road
Grantham
Lincolnshire
NG31 7AA

The material/compound used in Royal Mail bands has been tested to a US Food & Drug Administration standard for ‘Rubber Articles Intended for Repeat Use Conditions’ (ref: US FDA21 CFR177.2600) and is fully compliant.

There is absolutely no need to throw away boxes of elastic bands after 12 months from the date of manufacture – degradation starts when bands are exposed to UV light and moisture and the degree of exposure will affect the degradation rate:

• Bands kept in an opened box in a dark room are likely to be in better condition than bands left in an open container, on a frame in the bottom of an MB36 Pouch or a HCT Trolleys.
• How many times a band is reused and how far it is stretched each time it’s used will also impact on how long the band lasts. Evidence of ‘cracking’ on the surface of the bands will be evident to the user and suggest that it’s no longer usable. Guidelines on use (attached) issued previously still remain valid.
• Units should ensure the boxes are rotated and the oldest are used first. Only open one box at a time where possible.
• The bands are 75% natural rubber and degrade over time (rate depends on environmental factors). ISS are still exploring how specific waste streams like bands should be handled, and currently bands are treated as general waste.
• The US FDA standard is specific to testing for suitability for regular use/skin contact.
• A range of different standards apply to other aspects – e.g. BS6001 is the sampling regime to test compliance against spec, ISO21898 for UV resistance etc.

THE Volumes – number of boxes used in the last complete financial year (SP76=15000 bands per box, SP88=5750 per box) are as follows:-

Attachment: Royal Mail Rubber Band Managers Brief.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

18LTB238 Royal Mail Elastic Bands – Strength, Quality and Safety Specification

rubber band Managers Brief v2