Baggage handler

[1] A baggage handler also works jobs which are out of view of the flying public, including the bag room, operations (or load control), and the air freight warehouse.

Some of these jobs have union representation and due to this, baggage handlers can be very well compensated with an above average pay scale and good medical, retirement and benefits packages.

In addition to "pushing" an aircraft from the terminal gate (with a "push back" or "tow motor") to position it for engine start and eventual taxi, baggage handlers also may tow aircraft to and from another gate or to a "remote" or RON ("remain over night") parking area.

One of the jobs of the operations agent is to ensure that the aircraft—as finally loaded—is "legal" (within safe limits) before the aircraft departs the gate.

They must sometimes account for the baggage loaded into each compartment to ensure proper weight and balance, although this job is often the responsibility of flight operations staff.

In stations with higher volumes of passenger traffic, lavatory agents will usually use trucks adapted with large tanks on board that do not need to be emptied as often.

Hearing tests are usually required upon employment, since working near aircraft engines can strain the eardrums, and have long-term effects.

[citation needed] For narrow body aircraft (e.g. Boeing 737, 757), every checked bag is required to be manually transferred to the airplane cargo compartments by carrier baggage handlers.

Manual lifting and handling of these bags is considered the main risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among baggage handlers.

Other factors may increase the risk of WMSDs, including time pressure, and awkward and restricted postures in small cargo compartments.

In the United States, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studied the effectiveness of lifting assist devices and other control methods to reduce the risk of WMSDs [6]