Campaign to protect baggage handlers

Passengers at airports across the UK and Europe will today be asked to pack less in their bags to prevent the high levels of injuries to baggage handlers who lift the equivalent to the weight of an elephant every day.

Unite’s 'pack less' campaign is calling on airlines to introduce a maximum individual bag weight of 23kg, a call backed by the HSE Aviation Industry Committee and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The current limit is 32kg per bag.

Steve Turner, Unite National Officer, said:

“Passengers across the UK and Europe are being asked to pack less in their bags. Most people think that baggage handling is fully automated, while the reality is that a bag can be manually lifted up to a dozen times on its journey.

“Baggage handlers lift the equivalent of the weight of an elephant every day. They are five times more likely than any other worker to suffer serious injuries – that unfortunately can lead to permanent disability – because they are forced to handle very heavy bags in often cramped conditions.”

Unite is also calling on the Government and the HSE to do more to protect baggage handlers.

The European Commission is currently looking into introducing regulations to reduce the amount of musculoskeletal injuries suffered by workers across Europe.

The ‘pack less’ day of action is supported by the European Transport Workers’ Federation which is pushing for European-wide regulation. The event at Heathrow is the focus for the European day of action and representatives from 15 European trade unions will be leafleting passengers. There are also events being held across Europe including in Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

Thompsons, the holiday charter company, has recently introduced a 23kg maximum bag weight for all its customers. Other airlines have also made moves to address the issue, often by charging passengers additional fees when checking in heavy bags, but Unite says more needs to be done and is calling for consistently applied and enforceable industry standard.

Head of HSE's Transportation and Safety Unit, Nick Ratty, commented:

"This is an ongoing international issue and HSE has always said that manual handling should be avoided altogether where practicable.

"Basic handling equipment can help reduce the need for manual handling, however HSE is aware of reports of such equipment not being used due to cost issues, or in-hold equipment being removed from aircraft due to its weight and size.

"New technology includes more sophisticated extending belt loaders, which convey bags right into the aircraft hold and would significantly reduce MSD risks. HSE will continue to work with the industry and others to reduce the risks to workers."