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Suspicious Packages

Always treat suspicious packages with an abundance of caution. It’s important to know what makes a package suspicious.

What should you do if you receive a bomb threat or think a package is suspicious? What should you do first? What information do you need to communicate, and to whom?

While it’s not possible to plan for every scenario, knowing what to do can help keep everyone in your facility safe.

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Here are the things to watch for:

  • Unknown or missing return address
  • Unusual odour or sound
  • Protruding wires
  • Too much postage (stamps and/or postmarks)
  • Spelling mistakes, badly typed or written address
  • Addressed to recipient by title only (e.g., “President”)
  • Special handling instructions (such as “Do not X-ray”)
  • Rigid or bulky envelope
  • Unusual or uneven shape
  • Excessive wrapping, tape, or string. Discolouration, oily stains, or crystallization on the outside
  • Contents leaking
See Canada Post’s instructions on what to do with a suspicious letter or package

Remember to ensure your own safety first before trying to help others

If you see a suspicious letter or package:

  • Do not handle, shake, or smell it. If you touched the item, keep your hands away from your mouth.
  • Do not use a cell phone or two-way radio in the vicinity of the package.
  • Notify Security and be ready to provide the following information:
    • Where the package is (building, room) and its exact location in the room
    • Description of the package
    • Your name and a telephone number where you can be reached
  • If you can do so safely, isolate the item, e.g., by putting an upside-down waste bin over top of it. The package must not touch anything.
  • Memorize what the item looks like so you can describe it later (do NOT take a photo with your smartphone).
  • Evacuate the area:
    • Do not pull the manual fire alarm
    • Tell everyone in the immediate area to evacuate and take their personal belongings (briefcase, purse, lunchbox, car keys, etc.) with them
    • Evacuate with everyone else
    • As you leave, look for any packages along the exit route or in places they shouldn’t be (e.g.,  behind a door, in a stairwell, near an exit door, etc.). If you see a package, notify everyone in the immediate area, retrace your steps, use a different exit route, and call Security as soon as you can to report the package.

If you open a suspicious package:

  • Stop handling it immediately.
  • Do not move it.
  • Leave the room and isolate yourself from other people to avoid any risk of contamination.
  • Wash your hands with soap.
  • Do not use a cell phone or two-way radio in the vicinity of the package.
  • Call Security.
  • Wait in a safe location for response teams, police, or fire fighters to arrive.

If the package explodes:

  • Avoid activating any device or system that could produce a spark in the area of the explosion (cell phone, electrical switch or appliance, manual fire alarm, etc.).
  • Follow the evacuation procedure.
  • Quickly leave the building and go to the nearest meeting point. Wait there for further instructions.
  • If objects are falling from shelves or the ceiling, shelter under a desk or table until the danger has passed.
  • The police, emergency personnel, and public health officials will tell you what to do next.

Immediate assistance

4477 (INRS landlines) or 1-855-888-4477

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