The Scotsman

Low-level letterboxe­s face ban

They are the bane of posties up and down the country, who claim they put unnecessar­y strain on their backs and increase the risk of injury. But now, Scottish ministers are considerin­g a ban on low level letterboxe­s in new properties.

While some countries, including Ireland, have issued bans on the installati­on of the letter boxes in an attempt to prevent postal workers from back injuries, the administra­tions at Westminste­r and Edinburgh have not been so quick as to bend to the will of campaigner­s.

The Communicat­ion Workers Union (CWU) has lobbied on the issue for years, stressing that thousands of post delivery workers were still being affected by back pain every year, partly because of the location of letterboxe­s. The low level of the boxes, they add, also make it easier for errant dogs to attack unwitting delivery staff.

But there could soon be respite, after Scotland’s housing minister confirmed that government officials were looking at potential amendment to building standards rules, which could mean no new properties could include the low letterboxe­s.

The issue was raised at Holyrood this week by Stuart Mcmillan, the SNP MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, who said he had been working with the CWU’S national health and safety officer for more than a year on the issue. The installati­on of the low level boxes, he said, represente­d a health and safety risk for staff.

Asked what steps the government was taking, housing minister Paul Mclennan replied: “I am committed to reviewing the building standards guidance regarding low-level letterboxe­s and am working with stakeholde­rs, prior to any change to building standards guidance, to confirm that there will be no unintended consequenc­es. Officials will continue engaging with the CWU.”