RESOURCE CENTER

Is Offsite Mail Screening Needed for Your Organization?

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What is Offsite Mail Screening?

Offsite Mail Screening is a mail screening and distribution service performed by a 3rd party in a separate location to manage organizational mail security and processing.

An offsite, confidential screening location can minimize the possibility of threat exposure to personnel and visitors and facility closures. Airtight shelters detect threats before they are delivered to your organization.

Screening mail offsite is a best practice utilized to keep organizations safe from Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) mail and package delivery threats such as mail bombs, ricin letters and even white powder hoaxes.

Trends in Offsite Mail Screening

As reported in this year’s 2019 SafeMail Mail Security Survey, Offsite Mail Screening is on the rise.

The latest trends we surveyed indicate the risky practice of screening mail in the same building in which most employees work has dropped from 60% in 2018 to 43% in 2019.

This is a testament to the fact that Offsite Mail Screening can be your organization’s best insurance for business continuity.

You might be considering this step for your business. But what is the best way to determine if Offsite Mail Screening is right for your organization?

5 Questions to ask to determine if Offsite Mail Screening is right for your organization:

  1. Does the mailroom share a ventilation system with other departments, such as accounting, support or sales?
  2. Is your organization’s mail screening area shared space with another organization? Is it in a building with multiple tenants?
  3. Does your organization lack the specialty equipment needed to detect chemical, biological and radiological threats?
  4. If your organization purchases specialty equipment, will space for the additional staff and equipment be a challenge?
  5. Is your organization too short-staffed or over-worked to keep up on the latest threats, latest training and cutting-edge equipment?

If you answered “yes” to two or more of these questions, Offsite Mail Screening may be the best option to keep your facilities operating and your employees safe.

Basic steps for Mailroom Safety include:

  • Put a plan in writing
  • Install the correct sensor equipment
  • Train employees
  • Run practice drills

If this is not possible, consider outsourcing mail screening to a third party or sending mail to a third party screening facility. Click here to learn more about SoBran’s offsite screening services.