Postal Exam 916 cheat sheet

PPE for postal work includes safety shoes, gloves, eye protection, and a high-visibility vest; inspect each item before use and replace it when cracked, torn, or worn.

Lifting rule: keep the load close to the body, keep the back straight, bend at the knees and hips, lift with the legs, and never twist while carrying a load.

Get a team lift or mechanical aid for loads that are heavy, awkward, or beyond a comfortable single-person lift; do not test your limit on the job.

RACE for fire: Rescue anyone in danger, Alarm or alert others, Contain the fire by closing doors, Evacuate - or Extinguish only if trained and the fire is small.

Emergency exits, aisles, and fire equipment must stay unobstructed at all times; a blocked exit is a hazard that must be cleared and reported immediately.

Blood and body fluids are treated as infectious: wear gloves, avoid contact, and dispose of waste in labeled biohazard containers, then wash hands.

Lockout/tagout rule: only the authorized employee who applied a lock or tag may remove it; removing another worker's lock is prohibited.

When a task is unsafe, stop, warn nearby coworkers, and notify the supervisor; do not attempt repairs on equipment you are not trained and authorized to fix.

Wet floors and spills require barricades or warning signs, use of the spill kit, and a report to the supervisor before normal traffic resumes.

Active listening sequence: give full attention, do not interrupt, paraphrase what was said, then ask a clarifying question before acting.

Chain of command: bring problems and questions to the immediate supervisor first, then escalate upward only if unresolved or unsafe.

Critical instructions involving numbers, addresses, or locations require a read-back so the speaker can confirm the message was received correctly.

A shift handoff must state what was completed, what remains undone, and any hazards or equipment problems the next worker will inherit.

Conflict rule: address the specific behavior and its impact in a private setting, not the person's character, and propose a concrete alternative.

When an instruction conflicts with a safety rule, state the concern, request clarification, and do not perform the task until a supervisor resolves it.

Radio and phone protocol: identify yourself, state your location, keep the message brief, and confirm the other party heard it.

Written messages should state who, what, when, and where in the first two lines so the reader can act without calling back.

Transposition - swapping two characters such as 46 for 64 - is the most common data error; catch it by reading numbers back or comparing to the source.

Three-point verification: check a key value against the source document, the item or label itself, and the manifest before the item is released.

Do sequence checks at intervals while sorting, not only at the end, so an out-of-order item is caught while the batch is still easy to fix.

Batch count rule: count the items, compare with the expected total on the paperwork, and investigate any difference before moving to the next batch.

On any mismatch, stop the process, re-verify against the original source, and report the discrepancy rather than guessing or correcting silently.

Numeric dates such as 03/04/2025 are ambiguous; confirm whether the format is month/day or day/month before acting on a deadline.

Proofread twice with different goals: first pass for content and numbers, second pass for format, spelling, and required fields.

Initial each completed step on a checklist; the initials create a record of what was done and expose skipped steps.

Absence rule: notify the supervisor before the shift starts, using the method the policy requires, and state when you expect to return.

Follow-through standard: every assigned task ends in either completion or a status report delivered before the deadline.

Owning an error means disclosing it promptly, describing what happened, and helping correct it; concealing an error compounds the consequence.

Mail privacy: employees may not open, read, or disclose the contents of mail; doing so violates privacy rules and can be a criminal offense.

Time record integrity: record only hours actually worked; falsifying a timecard or clocking in for another employee is dishonest and grounds for discipline.

Company time, equipment, and vehicles are for company business; personal use is a policy violation even when the task is finished.

Self-directed work: once trained on a routine, complete it on schedule without reminders, and raise an obstacle early rather than at the deadline.

Reliability is measured by pattern, not a single day: consistent punctuality, attendance, and completion build the record supervisors rely on.

Heat illness signs - dizziness, nausea, headache, confusion, or stopped sweating - require moving the person to shade, cooling, and immediate help.

Push a load with the legs and body weight where possible; pulling with outstretched arms strains the back and shoulders more.

Rotate between different physical tasks during a long shift to reduce strain from repeated identical motions and prevent overuse injuries.

Warm up with a few minutes of light movement and stretching before repeated lifting; cold muscles are more prone to strain.

Standing for long periods: shift weight between feet, use anti-fatigue mats where provided, and change posture regularly.

Drink water at regular intervals through the shift; thirst lags behind actual fluid loss, especially in hot weather or enclosed vehicles.

Severe fatigue slows reaction time and judgment; report it to the supervisor instead of performing safety-sensitive tasks while impaired.

Know the load limit for your role and ask for a team lift or equipment when a load is heavy or awkward; a single injury can end a career.