North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors - PowerPoint Presentation

North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors United States Postal Service – Program Overview October 19, 2017

Introduction Meeting MissionProgram HistoryProgram OverviewSignificant Changes in History Product RecommendationsSummary/Q&A Agenda

The USPS Uniform Program has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of the organization and take advantage of: Enhancements in Comfort & PerformanceAdvancements in Design & TechnologyImprovements in Image & Safety We are grateful for the opportunity to present uniform concepts for consideration and discussion Introduction

Present potential improvements to the current USPS uniform program:Maintain a professional, and modern imageMake the uniform more comfortableIncrease uniform functionality and potentially add safety features Receive input on what’s important to you, our customer Meeting Mission

1792 George Washington signed the Postal Service Act establishing the United States Postal Service. 1868 First uniforms were introduced. Carriers were required to buy uniforms at their own expense. 1920’s The color of the uniform shirt was changed from nickel grey to blue. 1930’s A sweater was introduced that could be worn in lieu of a coat or vest. 1940’s Short sleeve shirts were introduced to be worn during warm weather. 1950’s Shorts, knee length hose , and first female uniform including skirts introduced. 1960’s Fur cap, jacket and “ Surcoat ” introduced. Sweaters added to Letter Carrier Program. 1970’s New blue shirts revised and introduced. Uniform patches revised with new logo. Necktie and cap changed to navy blue 1990’s Baseball cap and shirt jac introduced. Standard slip resistant foot ware requirement established. 1980’s New up-to-date outwear introduced. Color changed to navy blue. Bomber jacket, vest, parka and wind breaker added to the program. 2000’s Retail clerk program redesign in 2000. Venders offer online ordering. Letter Carrier “All Weather Gear” outerwear introduced in 2005. New Retail Clerk polo shirt introduced in 2007. New Letter Carrier solid blue shirt introduced in 2010. Future What is possible?

Program Overview Uniform Vendor System: nationwide network of dealers who provide quality, image-consistent products to the USPS 200,000 Letter Carriers 100,000 Retail Clerks 70,000 Mail Handlers Over 150M deliveries every year Physically demanding: walking, climbing stairs, stooping, carrying packages, etc… Most extreme variations of weather conditions

Significant Changes to the Uniform Product Additions: 1930’s – The sweater was added in lieu of a coat/jacket 1940’s – The short sleeve shirt and Eisenhower jacket were introduced 1950’s – Shorts, skirts and knee-length hosiery were added 1960’s – The fur cap and “ Surcoat ” were added 1980’s – Baseball caps and the ShirtJac were introduced 1990’s – Striped socks and a mesh sun helmet were added. Outerwear was updated. 2000’s – All weather gear outerwear and retail clerk polo introduced Product Modifications: 1940’s – Shirt buttons were changed from metal to plastic 1960’s – Pant fabrics changed from dry-clean only to wash-n-wear; hand warmer pockets and a zip-in liner added to the letter carrier jacket 1970’s – The neck tie and cap experienced a color change to navy blue; Uniform buttons incorporated the new logo 1980’s – Slip-resistant footwear was established 1990’s – Outerwear program was revised 2000’s – Striped shirt modified to solid color

Design Requirements MAINTAIN A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE IMPROVE PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS The recommended refresh keeps three things in mind:

Design Requirements: IMAGE MAINTAIN A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE The image of the Letter Carrier is iconic and dates back to close to a century USPS employees are the face of one of the most trusted government agencies The uniform must reinforce professionalism while reflecting the legacy of the USPS

Design Requirements: PERFORMANCE Uniform design should allow the “occupational athlete” peak performance Uniform design should accommodate varying weather conditions Uniform design must deliver functionality as to enhance comfort, fit and adaptability IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

Design Requirements: SAFETY There are 13,000 work-related injuries every year resulting in significant loss of production and claims for the USPS Uniform design should help address the physical demands required for the job POTENTIAL SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS

Product Recommendations

USPS Uniforms Shirts and Pants Letter Carrier Short Sleeve Letter Carrier Knit Polo Retail Knit Polo Letter Carrier Pant Men Walking Shorts Men Ladies Ladies Shirt Jac Men Ladies

USPS Products USPS Carrier Shirts and Shirt Jacs65% polyester, 35% cotton blend Weight: 4.25 oz. poplin weave Wrinkle resistant Colorfast Technology: Soil Release – Releases stains in the wash Lasting color wash after wash Wrinkle resistant, fabric stays soft What is Possible Liquid repellant technology: Repels spills on the outside 10-12% stretch for added comfort Current Fabric Short Sleeve Letter Carrier Ladies’ Shirt Jac Repel

USPS Products USPS Letter Carrier Knit Polo 50% polyester, 50% cottonPiquet weaveSoil releaseShort Sleeve only What is Possible Current Fabric Letter Carrier Knit Polo 100% polyester performance fabric Moisture management technology for greater comfort Anti-odor treatment resists odor causing bacteria Stays cleaner longer Improved spill performance

USPS Products USPS Retail Knit Polo 60% cotton, 40% polyesterYarn dyedSatin stitched interlock knitSoil release What is Possible Current Fabric 100% polyester performance fabric Piece dyed instead of yarn dyed Moisture management technology for greater comfort Anti-odor treatment resists odor causing bacteria Stays cleaner longer Retail Knit Polo

USPS Products USPS Carrier Pants and Shorts 100% polyesterWeight: 9 oz. per liner yard, tropical weaveWeight: 12.5 oz. per linear yard, elastique weave Technology: Soil Release – Releases stains in the wash What is Possible 65% polyester, 35% cotton option Technology: Soft hand – fabric stays soft 100% polyester or 65%/35% cotton blends: 10-12% stretch for added comfort M.C.S. Adaptive™ (moisture control system) for response to changes in temperatures; as the fabric warms, moisture management increases Construction: Cargo pockets option for storage Notch pockets for added utility Current Fabric Letter Carrier Pant Walking Shorts T-11 V-11 Notch pockets T-20

USPS Products USPS Reflectivity and High Visibility Enhanced visibility for your employees It is important that workers exposed to vehicular traffic are more visible to drivers Enhanced visibility is the ability to be better seen at distance helping the motorists to see, recognize and respond to the presence of a workers There is an increasing population of drivers over 50 years old who need more visual cues and greater time to react to traffic accidents Studies have shown that after the age of 20, a person’s illumination needs double ever 13 years Motorists are distracted by cell phones, music and other activities while driving Enhancing the visibility of workers if they: Work outside during dusk, night, dawn or inclement weather  Factors to consider:   Use sufficient amount of high brightness reflective material Outlining the human form Placing reflective material on the parts of a garment that moves as a person moves Ensuring that reflective material is present on the front ,back and sides of a garment for 360 degree visibility

Footwear Recommendations

Berry Compliant The Berry Amendment requires the Department Of Defense to give preference to domestically produced products including apparel and footwear. Items that meet the requirement of the Berry Amendment are deemed “Berry compliant.” Manufacturers working with component suppliers like Vibram ® can now produce true athletic footwear in the USA. The Department of Defense and other government agencies now utilize such footwear. Berry compliant athletic footwear can be constructed to offer the comfort, durability and slip resistance needed to meet the demands of USPS employees.

What is Slip Resistance? Coefficient of Friction (COF) is loosely defined as the ratio between the force necessary to move a surface over another surface horizontally and the pressure between the two surfaces. In other words, the force needed to make an object slide on a surface, divided by the force pressing them together.

What is Slip Resistance? VARIOUS TEST METHODS AND STANDARDS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO MEASURE SLIP-RESISTANCE (COF-COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION). STANDARDS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE IN ORDER TO BETTER REFLECT ACTUAL REAL WORLD CIRCUMSTANCES.

Slip Resistance Testing ASTM F489 IS THE CURRENT USPO TESTING STANDARD USING THE JAMES MACHINE. THIS METHOD IS RARELY USED IN CURRENT INDUSTRY. ASTM WITHDREW THE F489-96 JAMES STANDARD IN 2005.

Slip Resistance Testing ASTM 1677 IS ANOTHER METHOD OF TESTING COF. THE MARK II TEST IS COMING INTO QUESTION BECAUSE IT INVOLVES TESTING A 3” X 3” SECTION OF THE SOLE THE MARK II ASTM F1677 STANDARD WAS WITHDRAWN BY ASTM IN 2006.

Slip Resistance Testing THE ASTM F2913 WHOLE SHOE TEST USES THE ENTIRE SHOE INSTEAD OF A 3 X 3 PIECE OF THE SOLE.ASTM F2913 ALLOWS FOR THE TESTING OF FOOTWEAR IN THREE DIFFERING TEST MODES: HEEL CONTACT, SHOE FLAT CONTACT, AND TOE CONTACT.THE ASTM F2913 STANDARD IS OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR POSTAL APPROVED FOOTWEAR.

Slip Resistance Testing THE JAMES TEST (current USPS protocol)ASTM F489-96 (withdrawn 2005) USPS 89d 14 Feb 2005 Standard test method for using a James Machine3 x 3 sample sizeOVCT tile (official vinyl composition tile)80 lb. WeightDry condition .5 or better per USPS standard

Slip Resistance Testing MARK IIASTM F1677-05 (WITHDRAWN 2006) STANDARD TEST METHOD FOR USING A PORTABLE INCLINEABLE ARTICULATED STRUT SLIP TESTER (PIAST) 3 X 3 SAMPLE SIZEQUARRY TILE = AMERICAN OLEAN (NO LONGER MANUFACTURED)10 LB. WEIGHTDRY = DRYWET = 25 MLS DISTILLED WATER OILY # 1 = 2 DROPS VEGETABLE OIL OILY/WET # 1 = 25 MLS DISTILLED WATER WITH 2 DROPS VEGETABLE OIL OILY # 3 = 8 DROPS VEGETABLE OIL OILY/WET # 3 = 25 MLS DISTILLED WATER WITH 8 DROPS VEGETABLE OIL .5 OR BETTER (GENERALLY ACCEPTED)

ASTM Whole Shoe Test ASTM F2913-11STANDARD TEST METHOD FOR MEASURING THE COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION FOR EVALUATION OF SLIP PERFORMANCE OF FOOTWEAR AND TEST SURFACES/FLOORING USING A WHOLE SHOE TESTER WHOLE SHOE SAMPLE SIZESATRA QUARRY TILE500 NEWTONS FORCE (112 POUNDS FORCE)DRY = DRYWET = DISTILLED OR DE-IONIZED WATEROILY = 8 DROPS OF CORN OIL SMEARED ON THE SURFACE AS A THIN FILM OILY/WET = A SPRAYED-ON UNIFORM FILM OF WATER APPLIED ON TOP OF APPROXIMATELY 8 DROPS OF CORN OIL SMEARED ON THE SURFACE AS A THIN FILM FIVE TESTS WITH <10% VARIATION (NO PASS/FAIL)

Slip Resistance Conclusion THE JAMES TEST & MARK II TEST WERE WITHDRAWN BY ASTM BECAUSE OF A LACK OF ACCURATE, REPEATABLE RESULTS BETWEEN TEST LABSASTM F2913 (THE WHOLE SHOE TEST) HAS BEEN ADOPTED AS THE EUROPEAN EN STANDARDASTM F2913 IS THE CURRENT ACCEPTABLE STANDARD FOR COF.

Summary The uniform program has evolved over the yearsThe adoption of new designs and technologies will enhance the uniform program, which translates into improvements in: ImageProductivitySafetyCustomer and Employee Satisfaction

THANK YOU! Questions and AnswersNext Steps