Is Fentanyl the New Anthrax? Mail Handlers Beware.

Mail handlers need to be aware of a highly potent synthetic drug called Fentanyl which is causing significant safety issues for overseas Law Enforcement agencies. There are a growing number of overseas reports of Police Officers having immediate overdose symptoms from a very limited exposure to the substance.
 

Fentanyl is manufactured in illegal laboratories and can be ordered on the dark web with one known distribution method being via the mail. Fentanyl is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Fentanyl comes in a number of formats including as a white powder and it only takes two milligrams to be a lethal dosage which is the equivalent of a couple of grains of salt.

A leaking envelope could cross contaminant other items of mail in a shipment and if contact with exposed skin occurs the onset of symptoms will likely be immediate.

Should an aggrieved individual use it to target an organisation the impact could be extremely serious.

To read more about this growing issue of concern the following articles will provide you with a more comprehensive insight

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-california/sd-me-fentanyl-san-diego-20170621-story.html

http://news.sky.com/story/sixty-deaths-linked-to-fentanyl-drug-in-uk-10969840

Mail based threats using unknown substances should be a safety and security concern for all organisations.

In recent weeks we have had the pleasure of decontaminating a number of Powdersafe units where the organisations have been targeted with envelopes containing human faecal matter.

All workplaces have a responsibility to ensure that the staff are appropriately trained and have access to the appropriate safety equipment.

Contact us now to assist you to ensure you have created and maintain a safe working environment for the staff who handle or receive any mail.