Posties Tackle Dogs

Sick of being chased by dogs and run over by reversing cars, posties are delivering a safety messages to NSW homes.

Postcards telling people to lock up their dogs will find their way into two million letterboxes across the state.

According to Australia Post there will be a particular focus on Sydney's North Shore, where the risk of a dog bite or being hit by a car is the highest.

CEPU Victorian Secretary Joan Doyle said while she would welcome the postcards in her state, posties have more to contend with than their traditional canine foes.

She said high volumes of mail to sort, and getting deliveries in on time is leading to injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and accidents on bikes.

"It's a time and motion pressure cooker - the minute a postie gets to work the pressure is on."

Doyle said dogs were a perennial problem for posties.

"It's no laughing matter - everyone will be able to tell you their dog stories," she said.

"When I worked as a postie there was one blue healer that would come out like a bullet and grab your foot."

Doyle said current statistics on postie injuries were unreliable and the CEPU would be conducting a survey in coming months.

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Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:34 EST