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Airport check-in workers:
When checking in becomes a pain
Persistent back pain, sore necks, insults, stress, management practices contributing to ill health... Contrary to all clichés about glamour jobs in the airlines, the profession of airport check-in agent can be difficult, even dangerous. A recent study by Ellen Rosskam, Senior Work Security Specialist in the ILO Socio-Economic Security Programme, brings to light for the first time the difficulties of this line or work - which is mostly performed by women - and looks at ways to make things better.
GENEVA - Only slightly less than one-quarter (23 per cent) of all the airport check-in agents surveyed say they suffer no pain at all. All the others complain of persistent aches and pains; more than half suffer from neck problems, 49 per cent have shoulder pains, and one out of every two has lower back pain. These are not little sores or cuts, but rather significant suffering, bad enough to seriously disturb their sleep.
The pains come from musculo-skeletal disorders (MSD); that is, inflammatory problems of the joints, muscles, tendons and nerves. These are primarily caused by carrying heavy loads, repetitive activities, and confining positions. If, in addition, their work is characterized by stress and tight deadlines, an explosion of MSD can be expected.
This is the work of airport check-in workers, as shown by a new study * carried out by Ellen Rosskam in three international airports (two in Canada, one in Switzerland).
The check-in agents handle more than one hundred pieces of baggage a day having an average weight of 33 kg. each. Where the baggage handling systems are not mechanized, the check-in agents lift and carry each bag to the conveyor belt. (At non-mechanized baggage check-in systems, workers can lift and carry up to 600 bags a day, weighing on average 33 kg. each. This means that workers may lift and carry up to 19,800 kg. a day, with no training on safe lifting techniques, and no assistance.) Even at fully mechanized baggage check-in systems, workers often push and pull bags, often in painful postures. Not surprisingly, the cumulative effects often lead to severe pain which interferes with sleep and job performance, and in some cases causes workers to stop activities outside of work. (Some workers reported giving up non-work-related activities for a year or more.)
"The profession of check-in agent requires strength and diplomacy, since workers are confronted increasingly with aggressive, even violent, passengers," Rosskam notes.
More in an interview below:
What are the key results of your study?
Rosskam: "We were surprised at the high number of workers suffering from severe MSD. Unfortunately, these health problems, whose professional origin is obvious, are rarely recognized as work-related illnesses in Switzerland or Canada. The difference in the prevalence of MSD between workers equipped with a mechanized baggage handling system and those at a manual baggage check-in system is not immense. In other words, even with entirely mechanized equipment, check-in workers must often grasp, push, pull, lift and carry heavy loads. But they are not trained to do so safely. And they are often constrained to manipulate loads of several dozens of kilos in difficult postures; for example, when suitcases become blocked on the conveyor belt and check-in workers must break up the jam. In any case, it is better to have a mechanized system, which reduces the risk of back and neck injury and other MSDs."
"Check-in workers are also subjected to immense stress. Present management practices applying 'just in time' policies mean that workers should check in passengers (including check-in and baggage handling) in around three minutes. But if for any reason the agent spends more time - such as with a passenger who doesn't understand the instructions, or with an elderly passenger who may move more slowly with their baggage, etc. - they must try hard to make up the time later, because at the end of the line is an airplane waiting to take off. A missed schedule is costly. At the check-in counter, the agent knows this very well. So you can imagine the pressure. At the same time, workers are not consulted about the organization of their work, they do not have a voice in workplace decision-making, nor are they consulted about problems they may be experiencing. Communication is top-down only, whereas it could easily be top-down and bottom-up. This environment, full of repetitive physical effort and stress due to existing management practices, favours the occurrence of MSD."
Violence is another disturbing finding. What is the situation?
"The incidence of violence against check-in workers should ring alarm bells for management. One in every five check-in agents has suffered physical aggression at the hands of a passenger, 17 per cent have received threats, and 80 per cent have been subjected to verbal violence, including insults. Nearly half of all agents estimate that violence is a significant risk in their job. And the situation is getting worse. Airport and union officials and the staff all say that the level of aggressiveness and violence of passengers has increased dramatically. There are no substantial differences according to country or airport size."
"Thus far, there has been concern about violence against cabin crews. However, violence against ground personnel must be equally taken into account, particularly since check-in workers are the first line of defense to protect passengers and crews inside aircrafts."
Does work organization also play a role?
"Yes. The industry-wide use of 'just in time' policies in airports has caused an increase in pressure which is exerted directly on the check-in workers, pushing them to work faster. The objective is to avoid as much as possible delays in takeoffs, which are very costly to the airlines. There are more people travelling today through airports than ever before. 'Just in time' policies impose a speed-up in the work process. To characterize the situation, one might say that the agents have more work to complete in less time, while remaining smiling and polite with passengers who are more and more aggressive, and working under conditions often physically demanding, with no training to protect them against any of these risks. That this has repercussions on their health is not surprising."
To what extent is airport management aware of these problems?
"It appears that awareness is lacking. This is demonstrated by the significant difference between the official employer work-related accident/injury reports, and levels of injury reported by the workers in our study. The fact that it is difficult to obtain a diagnosis of a work-induced MSD for sick leave or compensation contributes to this. Therefore, a major health problem experienced by check-in workers is barely recorded in employer injury reports. As a result of this gap in reporting, employers have little 'official' reason to question the causes and even less so to take preventive measures."
"For their part, the check-in workers continue to go to work as though nothing were wrong, in spite of their often severe pains. There is a kind of 'culture of pain' at work; if the majority of people in your professional environment suffer from the same kind of pain as you, you may end up by considering that this is the normal state of things. You may tell yourself it's up to you to put up with the pain and suffering without complaining, and to get on with your work. What I call an occupational culture of pain, combined with the difficulty to obtain diagnosis and compensation, and the fact that workers may be somehow encouraged to use their sick leave rather than activate workers' compensation when needed, may work in consort to cause low or no injury reporting and a low level of lost work time, despite widespread suffering. The workers are motivated to do their job because they strongly identify with their profession and are proud of it."
Are there simple preventive measures which can be applied?
"The first step in prevention is to recognize that these problems exist. Once there is awareness and recognition of the problems, one can begin to discuss workplace improvements with involvement of the workers directly concerned."
"There are some very simple preventive measures which can be adopted. Eliminate those workstation arrangements that oblige workers to either remain standing during their entire service, or to remain seated. It is important for workers to be able to alternate positions. The baggage tag dispenser should be placed so that workers are not forced to adopt awkward postures, such as bending over to attach the tags to the baggage and then twisting around to push the bags. Moreover, perhaps there should be a universal baggage weight limit of 20 kg. The check-in counters are often poorly designed; often there is not enough space underneath the counter for the legs when the agents are seated, or even leg room when standing. Workers often end up adopting impossible positions to adapt to what may be a complete lack of leg room under the counter. As well, the work surface of the counter is often too narrow to accommodate all of the documents the agent must deal with. These need to be adapted to the needs of the worker so they may perform their job efficiently and comfortably. Fully mechanized check-in systems are far more desirable than manual systems, but even where costs prohibit the introduction of a fully mechanized system, at least a roller bar could be installed, to obviate lifting and carrying every bag."
"It would also be useful to use a high check-in counter everywhere, such as those at Geneva's Cointrin Airport. The higher counter seems to have a dissuasive effect on violent passengers, functioning as a sort of barrier against eventual physical aggression. The workstation designers may not necessarily have thought about that, but the high counter seems to have this added value. Also, management practices are needed to help workers deal with aggressive passengers. These should include training for both workers and managers for dealing with unruly passengers, and empower workers to protect themselves with the support of management structures. Workers should be provided training on safe lifting techniques, and basic principles of ergonomics. These measures can be applied easily. Of course, such measures will not eliminate the problems entirely, but they can help significantly to reduce the impact on workers. Present management policies, such as 'just in time' policies, and the non-involvement of workers in workplace decision-making and workstation design need to be addressed, as these are important factors contributing to negative worker health outcomes. "
There are few studies which examine the working conditions of service sector jobs, which are typically performed by women. Does this mean that there is a general underestimation of the occupational health problems related to women's work, and particularly service sector work?
"Definitely. It is a misconception that women's jobs are clean and safe, or even glamourous. Workers' compensation and sickness insurance systems are devised in many industrialized countries to give priority coverage to sectors which have obvious dangers, such as construction, heavy industry, or mining, for example. These are essentially jobs performed by men. Since these occupations are very costly to insurance companies, research on occupational health and prevention focuses on these high-risk areas. The lack of research in most other sectors of work therefore reinforces the idea that other jobs are less hazardous, especially in service sector work, where women make up the majority of workers. But in reality, little is known about health effects related to women's jobs because so few women's jobs have been studied."
"It is important to begin examining jobs heretofore unstudied, such as most women's occupations. This study demonstrates that 'all that glitters is not gold'. The fact that musculoskeletal disorders are not recognized as occupational illnesses does not help in increasing awareness."
- Pietro Boschetti. This article is adapted from an original interview which appeared in Le Courrier newspaper, Geneva.
* This study was conducted with Andrew Drewczynski and Renzo Bertolini, researchers at the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, with the participation of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), the Canadian Labor Congress, the PUSH and SSP unions in Switzerland, and management at the airports studied. The research serves as the basis for a doctoral thesis presented by Ellen Rosskam at the University of Lausanne, School of Management.