Workplace SecuritySuspicious Package Protocol

Emily HubbartTeresa Long

Charles Varghese Jeff Wyatt

What Makes a Package Suspicious?Warning Signs

Protruding wires Strange odors Excessive tape or

string Oily spots or

discolorations Ticking, sloshing or

buzzing sounds Excessive size,

weight, or thickness

Source: Newstipster.com

What Makes a Package Suspicious?Warning Signs

Lopsided or uneven envelope

Powdery substance felt through or noticeable on outside the package or envelope

Metallic components or batteries

Loose contents

Source: slate.com

What Makes a Package Suspicious?Warning Signs

Marked with restrictions • Personal• Confidential• Do not x-ray

Marked with threatening or abusive language

Placed near ventilation system

Postmarked from a location that does not match the return address

Excessive postage

Source: csoonline.com

What Makes a Package Suspicious?Warning Signs

Addressing Issues• Misspelled words• Mistyped or handwritten

addresses• Not addressed to a

specific person• Wrong titles or names• No or strange return

address• Unexpected point of

origin• Cut-and-paste lettering• Missing postal stamp

cancellation marks

Source: Hawii.edu

Types of Suspicious Packages

Chemical Agents Biological Agents Explosive Devices Radiological Agents

Source: FBI

Chemical Agents

Includes biotoxins, nerve agents, blister agents, caustic or corrosive substances, organic solvents, choking agents, metallic poisons, incapacitating agents, etc.

Suspicious envelopes containing ricin have been mailed to Public officials• Can be in the form of a powder,

a mist, a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid

• Death from ricin poisoning may take place within 36 to 72 hours of exposure, depending on route of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, or injection) and dose received

Source: WVEC.com

Biological Agents

Cause illness, disease, and death• Anthrax• Small Pox• Virus• Bacteria• Rickettsiae

Making biological weapons is a complicated process

Source: expats.com

Explosive Devices

Homemade devices designed to cause death or injury that have: • A switch/trigger• An initiator (fuse)• Main charge (explosive fill)• A power source • A container

Use explosives alone or in combination with toxic chemicals, biological toxins, or radiological materials

Source: globalsecurity.org

Radiological Agents

Dirty Bombs or radiological dispersal devices (RDD), are conventional explosives packaged with radioactive materials

Injures or kills via the initial blast of the conventional explosives, and by airborne radiation

Easily constructedSource: SpaceWar.com

Where are you likely to encounter a suspicious

package?

Unattended packages can be found anywhere• Mail Rooms• Public buildings such

as libraries, churches, malls, and schools

• Government facilities• Near ventilation

systems• Mass transit systems• Outside / public events

Source: Menupix.com

Where are you likely to encounter a suspicious

package? Mail rooms face the

biggest threat Protective Measures

• Employ professional security personnel

• Have security personnel greet all employees and visitors and examine their personal belongings

• Restrict access to the facility to authorized users only

• Keep detailed logs of visitor arrivals and departures

• Install an intrusion detection system

Source: newpaltz.edu

What will you do if you come across a suspicious package?

Do Isolate package immediately Place package or envelope on stable

surface WASH hands with soap and water Alert others Turn off fans or equipment that circulates

air Evacuate / secure the area Notify appropriate persons or authorities

What will you do if you come across a suspicious package?

Don’t Use radios or cellular phones near the

package Look closely at it Touch it Carry it Shake it Open it Empty it Taste it Smell it Show it to others

Works Cited

"Al Qaeda Actively Seeking Dirty Bombs: Documents." Spacewar.com. SpaceDaily, 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Al_Qaeda_actively_seeking_dirty_bombs_documents_999.html>.

Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit. "The Curse of the White Powder: How Fake Bioterrorism Attacks Became a Real Problem." Slate Magazine. The Slate Group, 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/01/white_powder_hoaxes_a_trend_in_fake_terrorism_.html>.

"Biological Threats and Bio - Terrorism." Biological Threats and Bio - Terrorism. N.p., 22 Feb. 2012. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://cjc.delaware.gov/terrorism/bio.shtml>.

"Campus Security & Emergency Management." Campus Security & Emergency Management. N.p., 7 Nov. 2011. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.hawaii.edu/security/archives_files/category-uh-alerts.html>.

Canada. National Security Directorate. Suspicious Package Response Planning Guide. By So Licito R General Canada. N.p.: n.p., 2003. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.dps.mo.gov/homelandsecurity/safeschools/documents/Canadian%20Suspicious%20Package%20Guide.pdf>.

"Capitol Hill Area." Capitol Hill Restaurants and Food. MenuPix, LLC, n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.menupix.com/dc/a/504/Capitol-Hill-restaurants>.

"Charges Dropped against Man in Ricin Letters Case." Wvec.com. WVEC Television, Inc., 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.wvec.com/news/Charges-dropped-against-man-in-ricin-letters-case-204366691.html>.

"Chemical Categories." CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/agentlistchem-category.asp>.

"Council on Foreign Relations." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 19 Oct. 2006. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.cfr.org/weapons-of-terrorism/dirty-bombs/p9548>.

"Department of Safety & Homeland SecurityBill Gibbons, Commissioner." Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Department of Safety, n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.tn.gov/homelandsecurity/id_mail.shtml>.

Duffy, Daintry. "Suspicious Packages and Mailroom Security - Handle with Care." CSO. CXO Media Inc, 1 July 2004. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.csoonline.com/article/219412/suspicious-packages-and-mailroom-security-handle-with-care>.

"Envelope with Suspect Powder Found in Malonne Convent." The Bulletin. The Bulletin, 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.xpats.com/envelope-suspect-powder-found-malonne-convent>.

"Facts About Ricin." CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp>.

"How to Recognize and Handle a Suspicious Package or Envelope." CDC Anthrax. Center for Disease Control and Protection, n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/mail/suspiciouspackages.asp>.

"Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) / Booby Traps." Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) / Booby Traps. Global Security, n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/ied.htm>.

"Mailroom Moved and Mail Backlog Cleared." News Pulse. News Pulse, 9 Sept. 2011. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://newspulse.newpaltz.edu/2011/09/09/mailroom-moved-and-mail-backlog-cleared/>.

"Personal Security in the Courts: Additional Threats in the Workplace." Personal Security in the Courts: Additional Threats in the Workplace. Judicial Council of California Administrative Office of the Courts, 2003. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/protem/courses/ct/personal_security/21_threats.htm>.

"Protect Your Workplace from Suspicious Packages." FBI. FBI, Sept. 2006. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2006/september>.

United States. Homeland Security. Department of Homeland Security. Best Practices for Safe Mail Handling. By Interagency Security Committee. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2013.

Works Cited