‘Concerning’ increase in dog attacks on postal workers in Plymouth

Plymouth is one of the places that has seen a worrying uptick in the number of dog attacks on postal workers in the past year. Across the UK there have been an average of 42 incidents occurring weekly, according to recent findings.

Royal Mail said there were 2,206 instances of dog attacks from April last year to March this year, marking a 15% surge from the previous year. Some postal employees have suffered severe and life-altering injuries due to these attacks.

In response to the escalating issue, Royal Mail is launching its annual Dog Awareness Week, calling for greater responsibility among dog owners. The study highlighted a troubling increase in serious assaults on mail carriers, with significant injuries jumping to 82 from 33 in the prior year.

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Areas identified as high risk for such incidents include Portsmouth, Belfast, Bristol, Brighton, and Plymouth. The majority of dog attacks occurred at the property’s front door, with gardens, driveways, and yards being other common locations.

There were also reports of attacks taking place on public streets and roads. A notable number of incidents, accounting for one-fifth, happened through letterboxes, posing a risk to delivery personnel even if the dog owner is absent, and could lead to prosecution if injury results.

Dog-related incidents led to over 2,273 days lost in work absence during the 2023/24 period, with the longest single absence stretching to 197 days.

Lizz Lloyd, Royal Mail’s director of health and safety, expressed her concern: “We are saddened and disappointed to see attacks on our staff continue to increase.

“Dog attacks have a devastating effect on our people, and we are appealing to dog owners to think twice when the postman calls. All dog attacks can have life-changing consequences for victims, even when the physical injury is not significant.”

“Almost half of attacks happen at the front door and over a quarter in the front garden, so this is not just a Royal Mail issue, many other organisations face the same problem.”

Dave Joyce, health & safety officer at the Communication Workers’ Union, expressed: “Dog-bite incidents and severe dog attacks are continuing to experience a very concerning increase and upwards trend across the UK and that constitutes a growing risk and occupational safety and health problems for postal workers.

“The key objective of Dog Awareness Week is primarily to remind the public to be aware of their legal and moral responsibilities to control their dogs and prevent dog attacks on postal workers who are providing them with a great public service. The public need to be aware that if their dog attacks a postal worker, they can be prosecuted.”