December 3, 2014 – Employees at a postal processing plant in West Oakland have voiced concerns for years about a policy they say prevents most workers from calling 911 in a medical emergency. They say the policy causes deadly delays when workers are injured on the job.

An NBC Bay Area investigation uncovered the United States Postal Service policy that instructs workers to call their supervisors and security in a medical emergency, not 911. According to USPS policy, only the postal police department is allowed to initiate the 911 procedure.

Last summer, an injured postal worker was left bleeding on the ground for up to 53 minutes before postal police contacted 911.

“When you see someone hurt, bleeding or passed out, the proper response is to dial 911 and then inform your supervisor—not the opposite way,” said Deborah Mealey, a 26-year veteran of the postal service. She is a lead mail processing clerk and a steward for the Oakland chapter of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU).

More Cases of “Delayed Medical Treatment” at the United States Postal Service