By CATHERINE MASTERS
Police are dealing with one or two anthrax scares a day in New Zealand even though the chances of a real attack are still considered low.
NZ Post has dealt with 40 "powder spill" incidents so far, from West Auckland to Invercargill, but all have been negative.
The figures have been released as American mourners buried the first New Yorker killed by anthrax, a Vietnamese immigrant who fled from war only to die from the germ warfare agent.
Yesterday, a conference in Auckland organised by security firm Protective Response International to advise on anthrax precautions heard the chances of an attack in NZ were slim.
Police have nevertheless issued guidelines on what to look for in a suspicious package: excessive postage, incorrect titles, misspelling of common words, oily stains, discolorations or smell, lopsided envelopes, an address handwritten or badly typed, or excessive use of masking tape or string.
Security consultant Fred Henare said businesses should prepare for the disruption caused by evacuations and anthrax testing, which could take more than a week.
Mr Henare said people could not turn a blind eye because they thought NZ was remote; the threat was global.
On display at the seminar were surgical gloves, goggles, face masks, respirators and overalls.
The message was that anyone handling company mail should wear gloves and possibly a mask, and work in an isolated room.
"It's not going to be acceptable for employers to disregard the types of threats we are talking about."
The security company ran the Reduce the Fear seminar after fielding calls from corporates wanting more information on what to do in the event of a suspicious package or a threat.
Inspector Nigel Morris, the officer in charge of the police specialist search group, would not give the number of anthrax scares nationwide but said there were one or two incidents across Auckland every day and each was taken seriously.
"At the end of the day it is a potential crime scene. We deal with it as we do a bomb threat."
If a company found anything suspicious it should try to seal off the room, restrict airflow and call emergency services.
Tony Haggerty, a hazardous substance adviser for the Fire Service, said bioterrorism was hard to spot and it was not a bad thing that people were reacting to any sighting of white powder.
People should watch their personal hygiene and wash their hands.
Dale Stevens, who supervises NZ Post's new anthrax project, also said the risk here was low but NZ Post was continually working on what it would do in a worst-case scenario.
NZ police have arrested three people so far for anthrax hoaxes but Australia Post has struggled with 270 hoaxes.
Story archives:
Links: Bioterrorism
Timeline: Major events since the Sept 11 attacks
Powder spill danger slim despite daily alarms
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