Postal_Guide_September_1961 — Page 46

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PACKING AND MAKE-UP

GENERAL INFORMATION

Letters and postal packets of every kind, especially parcels, must be so made up as not only to preserve the contents from loss or damage in the post, but also not to injure other packets, or any officer of the Post Office. If insecurely packed they are liable to be stopped. The public are warned that packets insecurely packed which are likely to injure other postal packets in course of conveyance or any officer of the Post Office must not be sent by post and that the senders are liable to penalties.

All articles for abroad should be securely packed, particularly if addressed to a distant country. Envelopes should not in any case be less than 4 inches in length and 23 inches in width (minimum size for postcards). For special conditions applicable to the make-up of letter packets, small packets, printed papers, commercial papers, samples and insured articles, see under the respective headings.

Special regulations exist in many countries whereby the use of hay or straw, as packing is either prohibited or restricted.

PACKING REGULATIONS FOR CERTAIN ARTICLES

Any fragile article whether sent by parcel post, or registered letter post must be packed in a container of sufficient strength and surrounded in that container with sufficient and suitable soft material or wadding to protect the article from the effects of concussion, pressure and knocks to which postal packets are ordinarily exposed in transmission, and the packet must bear the words Fragile With Care written conspicuously on the face of the cover above the address.

Butane Gas lighters & refills. In general the transmission by post of substances with flashpoints below 90° F is totally prohibited. An exception is however made in the case of lighters containing butane gas and refills for such lighters. These items are accepted for transmission by letter and parcel post (including air mail) provided the special packing regulations are adhered to. See Packing & Make-up, Parcels.

Celluloid. Seasoned raw celluloid and any article of celluloid must be enclosed in a tin box either placed in a strong outer wooden box or wrapped in some stout material which is not a good conductor of heat, for example, cardboard or brown paper strengthened by linen thread. A wrapping of ordinary brown paper, being apt to tear, is not sufficient.

Cinematograph and photographic films. These must be packed in accordance with the regulations printed in the section below headed PACKING AND MAKE-UP: PARCELS.

ARTICLES SENT FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATION OR ANALYSIS

Deleterious liquids or substances, though otherwise prohibited from transmission by post, may be sent for medical examination or analysis to a recognized medical laboratory or institute, whether or not belonging to a public health authority, or to a qualified medical practitioner or a registered dental practitioner or veterinary surgeon by letter post, but on no account by parcel post, or sample post under the following conditions:

1. (a) perishable biological substances consisting of living pathogenic micro- organisms or of living pathogenic viruses shall be enclosed in a bottle or tube of thick glass, well stoppered, or in a sealed phial. This container shall be impermeable and hermetically sealed. It shall be surrounded with a thick and absorbent material (absorbent cotton wool, swan's down cloth or flannelette) wrapped round the container several times and bound both above and below it so as to form a sort of cocoon. The container so wrapped shall be placed in a solid, well fastened, metal box. The absorbent material placed between the inner container and the metal box shall be of sufficient quantity to absorb, in case of a breakage, all the liquid contained, or capable of being formed, in the inner container. The metal box shall be made and fastened in such a way as to make any contamination of the outside of the box impossible. The metal box itself shall be wrapped in cotton or spongy material and enclosed in its turn in a protective box in such a way as to prevent any movement. This outer protective box shall be hollowed out from a block of solid wood, or shall be of metal, or may be of a material and construction of equivalent strength, and furnished with a well fitting lid fastened so that it cannot open in the course of