Suspicious packages

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

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

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.