subject: Postie Bitten On The Bottom Helps Royal Mail To Launch Pet Control Campaign [print this page] It's not a profession traditionally associated with danger, but a couple of stories in the news this week have made us reassess the role of the great British postman and the risks the Royal Mail take to get our letters and parcels to us.
Although it sounds like something out of the Beano, the truth is that the greatest work injury threat that postmen face is that posed by territorially-protective dogs.
First up, let us examine the case of Colin Hatch, who suffered injuries so severe that he had to stop being a postie altogether and take on lower-paid work as a handyman. The most remarkable aspect of his story is that the dog didn't even touch him.
Mr Hatch was delivering letters to the house of Pauline Little in Billingham, Teesside, when he heard barking from inside the house and took to his heels, fearing an imminent canine offensive. In his haste to avoid being bitten, Mr Hatch tripped on an uneven paving stone on Ms Little's garden path and wrenched his knee so badly upon hitting the ground that he is now no longer able to walk long distances, and had to leave his job. he is now seeking work injury compensation from Ms Little.
Then we have the story of David Power, a postman from Builth Wells, Powys. He was bitten on the posterior by a fierce Spanish sheepdog two years ago. Although he admits that his colleagues had a laugh at his expense, he was sufficiently peeved by his experience, which saw him require a tetanus jab in said part of his anatomy, to help the Royal Mail launch a campaign to keep their pets under control.
And it's not just dogs that pose a problem. Animals as diverse and as surprising as cats, geese and ducks have all given unwitting delivery staff cause for concern in the last few years, and with the summer holidays approaching and the greater likelihood of animals being outdoors, the postal service is keen to protect their staff.
There have also been reports of a Swansea worker being attacked by an Alsatian and a Labrador (some might think surprisingly) biting a Gwynedd postman's hand so badly he had to go to Liverpool for specialist treatment.
Although he isn't a mail worker, there is also the related case of Brian Kiddell from Chessington, who was bitten by a police dog this week while minding his own business.
Mr Kiddell was watering his allotment when a police Alsatian approached him and sank his teeth into his ankle, for no apparent reason. the police were hunting the driver and passenger of a BMW that had crashed nearby when the attack happened.
Ironically, Mr Kiddell used to work in the personal injury compensation industry, but says he is unsure about whether he will make a claim himself, according to the Surrey Comet:
"I think the police will contact me anyway. All I'm glad about is it happened this week because I had the Claygate Flower Show on Saturday and I wouldn't have been able to do half the stuff I did."
He is now convalescing at home with his own dog Daisy who, he says, 'only barks at chocolate bars.'
