An ergonomic assessment of the airline baggage handler

635.2.1 Workstation RedesignThe workstation of the baggage handler is a dynamic one usually rotating inside andoutside various parts of the airport, and aircraft. Research has shown that the mosthazardous place for baggage handlers to perform their tasks is inside the cargo bin of anarrow body plane (Dell, 1997). Although the advancement of aircraft material handlingtechnology has made it so that baggage handlers no longer have to manually load thecargo holds of wide bodied aircraft, the loading and unloading of narrow bodied aircraftstill require that baggage handlers bear the brunt of this task. Baggage handlers have tokneel inside the narrow body aircraft stacking baggage and materials from the walls tothe door of the cargo bin. Unfortunately, these unfavorable ergonomic working postures(kneeling and crouching in cargo bin) are not easily controllable without theimplementation of engineering controls. Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), such asback support aids, etc., in this case would only mask the problem(s) instead of eliminatedthem. This is why the redesigning of narrow body aircrafts, or implementing mechanicalaids, would be the best solution. Some narrow body aircrafts are designed with stackingmechanisms. A great example of this is The System, a luggage stacking mechanismcreated by a Scandinavian (aircraft) Belly Loading Company. Thus, far the reviews onthis device are very favorable, with reports of 25% reduction in sick leave for baggagehandlers, 3% reduction in workers needed for the operation, and 50% reduction in theoccurrence of damage luggage and the lining of the cargo bin (Johansen, 1995). Industryreports states that for the 17 aircraft fitted with this mechanism, the savings costs overthree years is two million dollars (Johansen, 1995). However, these aircrafts are in a verysmall minority (Dell, 1997). To add automated stacking mechanisms, such as the