LTB 005/25 - New Prototype Posting Peg Trial – RM/CWU National Joint Dog Awareness Working Group
- Angela Wright CWU Branch Communications Officer
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
No. 005/25
Dear Colleagues,
New Prototype Posting Peg Trial – RM/CWU National Joint Dog Awareness Working Group
Branches and members may recall LTB 216/24 which reported on the New Design Mk2 Posting Peg trial which had been developed via the RM/CWU National Joint Dog Awareness Working Group and which was then subject to a trial at the Derby, Swindon and Dore Delivery units from June to August of last year.
As means of background, the new design Mk2 Posting Peg was trialled based on feedback received that the current existing Red Posting Peg needed to be longer, be more flexible and have the ability to accommodate more letters in the Peg.
The Mk2 design received positive feedback from the individuals involved in the trial, with 78% of those who replied saying they were more likely to use the Mk2 Posting Peg, however, the trial also reflected similar feedback to that of the current Red Posting Peg and the need for a longer and more flexible design, with the ability to fit more into it.
Accordingly, this feedback has been further reviewed by the RM/CWU National Joint Dog Awareness Working Group and a new prototype Posting Peg has now been designed and developed for further trial activity. The new prototype Posting Peg, in addition to seeking to address feedback given, also has multiple uses.
Although its primary purpose remains a posting aid, to avoid fingers through the letterbox incidents, the updated design also provides:
A holder for the P739 ‘Something for you’ cards
Holds a pen
Provides a flat surface to write on
Can be used to hold/store elastic bands
The Posting Peg has been made using tough and durable materials and has been designed to fit in both Royal Mail cargo trousers and shorts.
The trial of this new prototype Posting Peg will take place at the Delivery units listed below, with each unit being issued with the outlined number of new prototype Posting Pegs to be tested in the live operational environment.
Derby (DE) – 20 Posting Pegs
Swindon (SN) – 5 Posting Pegs
Chippenham (SN) – 5 Posting Pegs
Dore (S) – 10 Posting Pegs (TBC)
Rye (TN) – 10 Posting Pegs
The trial will commence from Monday 20th January and is planned to run for four weeks.
Derby, Swindon and the Dore Delivery units were trial locations for the Mk2 Posting Peg back in 2024 and have again been selected for this new trial to generate feedback on the new prototype against the former MK2 design.
As a means of further information on this trial, please find attached a SHE Huddle briefing due to be issued at each of the trial sites.
In advance of the trial activity being launched in each unit, remote meeting calls have been set up to outline the details and aims of the trial which will involve the relevant unit COMs, SHE advisors, and ASRs.
On completion of the trial, feedback will be sought directly from those involved via a QR code, with the feedback then being reviewed by the RM/CWU National Joint Dog Awareness Working Group in terms of the next steps.
From the CWU perspective, this trial of a new prototype Posting Peg is welcomed, as based on the latest figures shared by Royal Mail, circa 389 dog bites through the letterbox incidents were reported last year. Accordingly, I have no hesitation in encouraging our Safety and IR Reps, alongside members in the listed units, to fully support and engage in the trial and equally provide feedback via the QR code once issued.
Finally, and in setting out the above, it is relevant to remind Branches that letterbox bites are reportable as an offence under the Dangerous Dog Act (Section 3), which followed the Court of Appeal decision in 2022 whereby postal workers do have applied access rights at letterboxes and as such, are protected by the Act.
Sadly, there remains some confusion in this regard and over trespassing laws, with even some Police Officers offering wrong advice on this issue if hands/fingers accidentally enter the letterbox aperture.
The full details of the Court of Appeal ruling were set out in LTB 220/22.
Further updates in terms of this trial and outputs will be issued in due course, but in the meantime any enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be directed to the Outdoor Department, email address: Pharacz@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
Tony Bouch
Assistant Secretary
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