Closer Eye to the Ground

As Pressures on Airport Workers Mount, Safety Conditions Draw Scrutiny

They fix planes and load and unload heavy bags in sweltering heat and frigid cold. For many passengers, they are invisible, though they toil right underfoot. Airport ground workers do their jobs amid the deafening roar of aircraft engines and the arrival and departure of tanker-size jetliners. They must avoid stepping in oil slicks and watch out for baggage carts whizzing by.

Now the ground workers' tough conditions are coming under closer scrutiny. For the first time, airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration will co-host a three-day symposium focused on improving safety on the tarmac at the nation's airports. Participants in the gathering, which begins Sept. 6, will analyze data on accidents to help airlines identify dangers and adopt strategies for reducing risks.

"It's next in line to be dealt with," said Basil J. Barimo, vice president of operations and safety for the Air Transport Association, a trade group that represents major U.S. airlines.

While serious injuries and death occur, the most common injuries among ground workers result from heavy lifting, in many cases causing severe back strain. According to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 4.53 injuries and fatalities per 100 airport ground workers in 2004, the latest year for which data are available. By comparison, coal miners had a rate of 6.58 injuries and fatalities per 100 workers; in construction, the rate was 5.77.

So far this year, four ground workers have been killed or seriously injured, according to data collected by The Washington Post. In one incident, a mechanic died in January when he was sucked into the engine of a Continental Airlines aircraft at El Paso International Airport. A month later, a baggage handler for Comair, a Delta Air Lines regional carrier, was killed when he was struck by a baggage cart at the Detroit airport. Three serious or deadly accidents occurred in 2005 and two in 2004.

Through the busy summer season, ground workers have been under increased pressure to load and unload bags swiftly and to ensure that the aircraft are prepared for safe travel. Many financially strapped carriers have reduced their staffs, leaving more work for the remaining employees. Some airlines have been hiring ground workers at lower wages to cut costs.

Several airlines said training and supervision of workers remained as much a priority as passenger safety. "As a company committed to the highest standard of safety, Northwest will continue to seek and promote the practices, procedures and processes necessary to assure safe working conditions for our employees and business partners," said Dean Breest, a spokesman for the airline.

At US Airways, ground workers go through a three-week training program on procedures, including one-on-one instruction on the tarmac. "We're very heavily focused on safety," said Anthony Mulé, senior vice president for customer service.

Mulé acknowledged that crowded planes put more pressure on ground workers. "We are asking people to work harder to accommodate the increased traffic, but we are not asking more of this group than we are of other work groups," Mulé said.

Many workers and their families say more needs to be done to ensure a safer environment, and they urge more oversight. FAA officials said that the agency reviews each airline's safety guidelines for the workers but that it was up to the individual carriers to enforce those rules.

Jim Ballough, director of the FAA's flight standards service, said the agency sends inspectors to airports to assess flight preparations and safety on the ground. But some airline officials said those random inspections focus more on air-flight matters than on ground safety. The officials added that more safeguards are needed to protect workers.

Southwest Airlines is in "constant dialogue" with the FAA about employee safety, said Barry Brown, vice president of safety and security for the airline. But, he added, the FAA was "more aggressive" about ensuring the safety of the passengers.