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
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.