The U.S. Postal Service will deploy new equipment next year designed to reduce biological threats through the mail, the agency said yesterday.
The USPS plans to install new ventilation and filtration systems in more than 280 mail processing and distribution centers nationwide in the spring.
During mail processing, the equipment will automatically and continuously vacuum air from the machinery through a series of filters designed to capture and contain at least 99.97 percent of all dust and potential contaminants.
The system has undergone extensive testing by the National Institute of Safety and Health.
The equipment is supplied under contracts awarded to Siemens Dematic Postal Automation LP, Arlington, TX, and AccuSort Systems Inc., Hatfield, PA. The Siemens Dematic contract is valued at $89.9 million. The AccuSort contract is valued at $35 million.
