An ergonomic assessment of the airline baggage handler

27Another concern with this survey was that Dell included the check-in or ticketagent personnel in the baggage handlers group. Dell included this group of workersbecause they do in fact handle baggage. However, since their contact with customerbaggage is becoming more and more limited, the author feels if it would be best toexclude them from the baggage handler group in any future survey.In the authors experiences at the Newark International Airport it was expressedseveral times, baggage handlers and airline personnel that Newark Airport's Ticket orCheck-in agents were not to lift customer baggage due to ergonomic concerns, mainlyback-related issues. The ticket agent would explain to the customer that he/she wouldhave to be responsible for placing their baggage on the weighing scale themselves. Oncethe bags) is on the weight scale the Check-in agent would have someone help them placethe baggage on the baggage conveyor belt for the baggage handlers to process later.The author realizes that although this may be the case for some airline check-inemployees this may not be the general case or model for the rest of airline companies'nation and worldwide. For the check-in agents that must deal with bags, if the customercannot lift the bag themselves the check-in agent(s) assists. Once the bag is on the scalethe check-in agent moves the baggage about a meter's length across to the baggageconveyor belt. This point withstanding, even in the cases where check-in or ticket agentsmust deal with customer baggage their contact with baggage is limited compared to thatof the baggage handler. The check-in agent, although exposed to their own level of riskto musculoskeletal disease, the author purposes that they may have a level of risk thatmaybe considerably less than the baggage handler. Moreover, another important thing toconsider is that the majority of check-in or ticket agents are women-although this too is