52 APRIL 2008 GHI safety Workplace Weight and see? Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common cause of occupational ill health in the UK, a condition that currently affects over 1m people a year. Moreover, in monetary terms, it costs society around £5.7bn. Musculoskeletal disorders can affect a person’s muscles, joints, tendons and other parts of the musculoskeletal system. And today’s airports are merely one workplace out of hundreds where staff and personnel may injure themselves through repeated lifting, pulling, pushing and turning movements. Looked at in very simple terms, more fl ights equate to more passengers – and with that comes an increased likelihood of injury on the ramp. The 32 kilogramme limit Let’s begin with weight. Currently, IATA recommends a maximum bag weight of 32 kilogrammes for handling by a single person. The UK Health and Safety Executive has worked with trade unions, airports, airlines and ground handlers to encourage the introduction of this weight limit as a fi rst stage in addressing just one aspect of the injury problem. Since its adoption, British Airways reports seeing encouraging reductions in the incidence of back injuries; the bag weight has duly been implemented elsewhere, with continued strong support from the unions. But as anyone dealing with the travelling public knows, to some this guideline is little more than an advice: holidaymakers, keen to ensure as comprehensive a supply as possible of creature comforts whilst abroad, often bring overladen bags to terminals. Aside from the possibility of being asked to re-pack (and a little research would suggest that increasingly this option is being enforced by the check-in agent), the traveller may well witness the application of a “Caution – heavy bag” sticker to his or her case. That way, the handler is warned although this action doesn’t ultimately diminish the risk he runs in moving the bag at a later date. Work-related injury still involves colossal amounts of money but helpfully, moves towards reducing illness through back strain have been making progress.