EUROPEAN TRANSPORT WORKERS’ FEDERATION

FEDERATION EUROPEENNE DES TRAVAILLEURS DES TRANSPORTS

Summary of ETF Position Statement on Manual Handling Injuries in Civil Aviation

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) represents trade union members who work in the transport industry across Europe. Around 250,000 of our 2.5 million members work in Civil Aviation.

The risk of strain injuries from manual handling to those employed in this sector is approximately five times that of workers in other types of employment. Some studies indicate that only agricultural workers are more likely to suffer MSDs at work.

The primary cause of these injuries is the movement of passenger baggage. The risk of such MSDs is not restricted to baggage handlers. Airport employees who have to move passenger baggage at EU airports include staff working at check in, security, porters, special needs assistants (wheelchairs), baggage system engineers, trolley operatives and left baggage assistants. Beyond the airport environment there continues to be a risk to taxi and coach drivers, rail and hotel porters – and of course to the passengers themselves.

Cost of MSDs to the Employer

Avoidable MSDs expose employers to higher sickness levels and cost of overtime cover, legal action, higher insurance costs and higher staff turnover – resulting in additional costs in recruitment and training. Company pension schemes may be put under additional pressure through employees forced to take medical retirement.

Cost of MSDs to the State

MSDs place an extra burden on National Health services. Where individuals become unable to continue working, the taxes they contribute to the treasury may cease or become substantially reduced. In some cases a formerly healthy employee may end up claiming disability and unemployment benefits for over half their adult life because of a single injury or due to the cumulative impact of a series of small strains.

Cost of MSDs to the Employee

MSDs reduce the ability of the individual to do work and earn an income. Such injuries are generally not considered to be life threatening, but a reduced ability to take part in sport and other physical activities has been shown to reduce life expectancy. Medical retirement is also associated with a significant reduction in life expectancy.

Other effects on the individual are harder to assess. What value should be placed on the ability of a mother or father to pick up their child or to throw a ball to them? How do we assess the cost of being perpetually in pain or the inability to take part in social or domestic activities?

Causes of manual handling injuries in Civil Aviation from the movement of baggage

While there are many factors that contribute to injuries from moving baggage, such as working environment, task design, equipment and training – the major contributor to injuries is overweight baggage.

Whilst there are IATA guidelines that limit passenger baggage to 23 kilograms, these are not legally binding. Bags of up to 32 kilos are accepted at EU airports and bags arriving on flights from outside Europe weighing 40 or 50 kilos are not particularly uncommon.

Remedies

The ETF endorses the “Pack Less” campaign, which calls for the EU to make the IATA guideline of a 23 kilo maximum weight for passenger bags legally binding on all member states and applicable to departing, arriving or transferring bags at EU airports. Any bags exceeding this limit should be carried as cargo and only loaded with the use of mechanical assistance.

We believe that this would lead to an immediate reduction in the number of strain injuries in our industry and allow many of those with existing MSDs to remain in their current employment.

It is proposed that the EU then further seeks to reduce the maximum bag weight and investigates other options for reducing manual handling in the aviation sector.

Other Considerations

  • The ETF believes that allowing bags of up to 32 kilos to depart and heavier bags to arrive or transfer at EU airports creates substantial indirect discrimination for workers. Many women, older workers and those with existing medical conditions are just not physically capable of moving bags of these weights. A legal restriction on passenger bag weights of 23 kilos or lower would allow a far wider range people to carry out this type of work.
  • Whilst the ETF has no objection to passengers carrying a higher total weight of baggage than 23 kilos, but distributed between 2 or more bags, we believe that many passengers would choose to carry less baggage. This would result in lower fuel costs for the airlines and lower CO2 emissions.
  • Leaving the introduction of a limit on bag weights to member states or individual airlines has been shown to be impractical. Only an EU wide restriction will prevent some employers seeking to gain a competitive advantage by exposing their workers to higher manual handling risks.

Summary compiled by Jon Purdom on behalf of François Ballestero for the ETF. 5th July 2010

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For further information, please contact François Ballestero (Tel: +32 2 285 46 65; )

The ETF represents more than 2.5 million transport workers from 225 transport unions and 41 European countries, in the following sectors: railways, road transport and logistics, maritime transport, inland waterways, civil aviation, ports & docks, tourism and fisheries.

Rue du Marché aux Herbes 105, Bte 11, B - 1000 Brussels Tel +32.2.285 46 60 Fax +32.2.280 08 17