Baggage handling 'should be automated'

Airport baggage handling should be mechanised as much as possible if manual handling injuries are to be minimised, a new report asserts.

Research carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at East Midlands Airport into the effectiveness of extending belt loaders also recommends employees avoid lifting between low and high levels.

It was conducted in conjunction with the Health and Safety Laboratory, Menzies Aviation, Servisair, EasyJet, BMI Baby and the Civil Aviation Authority.

A higher level of communication could reduce the risk manual handling tasks in this context presents, the report claims.

Christine Barringer, the HSE's head of transportation section, services, transportation and safety unit, asserts the research was a success.

She states: "It was important that we had a good spread of organisations in the group so the ideas and views of both the industry and employee representatives could be shared."

In other news, a liability risk manager for the Norwich Union, Phil Grace, states that manual handling accidents can occur in any workplace environment.