A university as large as Rutgers ships and receives millions of packages annually, and with our research, clinical, and medical teaching arms, some unusual items pass through IP&O’s Mail Services group, as well. Cremated remains, for example, are shipped every Friday from the IP&O mailroom to a predetermined address for final interment. This requires special and careful handling.
Working with Mail Services in this effort is IP& O’s Environmental Health and Safety group (REHS). The collaboration is a great example of how our two divisional groups not only work together, but work hard to ensure our researchers and students can get the items they need and then can dispose of these items safely and properly.
“People sometimes donate their bodies after death for scientific research,” explained Alexander Ruiz Associate Director and the University Safety Officer, Rutgers Environmental Health and Safety & the Office of Emergency Management. The Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Anatomical Association Body Donor program accepts donated cadavers for use in our medical schools.
“We have a contract with a funeral home which cremates the remains once the medical school is done working on them,” Ruiz explained.
“Cremated ashes must be packaged a certain way according to United States Postal Service guidelines.” said Frank Scalice, Acting Assistant Vice President, IP&O’s Mail Services. “We do not package them. The schools and units are responsible for following United States Postal Services guidelines for packaging human remains.” The packages are all labeled to identify them as human remains.
“We review procedures with the schools,” said Ruiz, “and make sure everything is fully marked and labeled, ‘Cremated Remains’”.
“Every Friday we receive at least one and up to several packages of cremated remains,” said Scalice. Cremated remains are considered hazardous waste. The packaging and labeling also lets mailroom employees know that they are dealing with human remains and should do so respectfully.
Other products shipped and/or received in our mailroom include diagnostics. This category includes blood, urine, stool, and tissue specimen. “There are different categories for shipping clinical waste or biologicals, or what we call diagnostics,” said Ruiz. REHS trains Rutgers laboratory, teaching, and clinical personnel on proper shipping and handling of all diagnostics. In addition, anyone who is involved in the handling of these items must be trained in how to respond to breaks and damaged packaging.
“We have procedures in place that we follow if something is leaking or there is an obvious odor,” said Scalice. “Recently, we received several packages, and there was a strong odor of acetone coming from one of the packages.” Assuming that something had broken in transit and was leaking, Scalice immediately contacted REHS. “It turned out to be a broken container of nail polish remover, but we had to be careful. We follow the guidelines.”
Following guidelines is critical, especially when it comes to diagnostics. “These are classified as infectious waste,” explained Ruiz. The mailroom will not pick these items up if they are not packaged correctly. Neither REHS nor the mail room will get involved in the packaging process. “We provide the laboratories with the proper training to package diagnostics properly. The lab personnel should always call us if they are unsure of the proper way to package diagnostics.” After the package is ready, the correct shipper has to be used. “Only UPS and FedEx have the capabilities to ship this category of diagnostics,” said Ruiz.
Ruiz added that proper labeling is also important.” Some of these items ship in dry ice. Dry ice is carbon dioxide. It can be a hazard when shipped in the pressurized cabin of an airplane, so it is critical that all contents are labeled.”
Animals are often shipped to the university. “Animals should be shipped directly to the requesting laboratory. The veterinarian or technician are the only people who can accept them,” said Ruiz. “They are not to be shipped to our mailrooms.”
Scalice recalled an instance when a large snake was shipped to the mailroom. “It arrived in a drum. We did not open it,” he recalled. “Animals have to go directly to the laboratory.”
In addition to the medical side of the university, there is the agricultural side. “Soil samples arrive every day,” said Scalice. “Some require special permits and then must be treated to kill microbial growth, for example.”
Mail Services personnel are also trained to recognize possible explosives or anthrax. Packages being shipped overseas must be scanned in accordance with the Patriot Act.
Some items cannot be shipped from the university at all. “We cannot ship alcohol for people,” Scalice explained. “Your package is no longer a personal package when you are shipping from the university.
You are shipping from a business. If a person wants to ship a personal package they need to go to a carrier off campus.”
REHS and Mail Services are at the front line in keeping the university compliant and its personnel safe. Any group or unit who has questions or requires training in handling diagnostics and lab and clinical waste can visit the REHS website for guidelines and contact information here. Mail Services general information and contact information may be found here.
