European Union Urged to Look after Baggage Handlers’ Health and Safety
Posted March 10th, 2010Categories: Biz Stuff, Lawyers Network, Online Health
The “pack less” campaign is beginning across all airports in the
On an average, a bag handler carries the weight that is equal to that of an elephant and that too on a daily basis. Unite is behind the “pack less” campaign. The Unite National Officer, Steve Turner stated that contrary to what most people think, bags are not handled by machines all the time. Before a bag reaches its owner, it may have been hefted manually a dozen times. This increases the strain on the handler and so Unite is campaigning to reduce the permissible baggage weight by 9kgs: from the current 32kgs to 23kgs. The IATA and the HSE Aviation Industry Committee are backing Unite’s campaign to the hilt.
Workers who handle bags are 5 times more likely to suffer from injuries that workers in other industries and can even become permanently disabled as they carry heavy weights throughout their work day. The fact that they have to work in small and constricted spaces leads to an increase in risk of injuries.
The European Commission is working to bring in regulations that will improve employees’ health and prevent musculoskeletal injuries.
The ‘pack less’ campaign is being introduced at airports across the
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