Belt loaders allowed to be up to jetway

[bob@las-AA]

 

 

 

A small but little know OSHA regulation recommends that all who are climbing a ladder or set of stairs is far less likely to be injured if that person maintains three points of contact in the event a persons foot were to slip. The moral of this story is to comply to the wishes of the airport authority, by not parking any GSE within a jetbridge no park zone and when carrying bags up or down the jetbridge stairs is to bring them one at a time. If a procedure seems unsafe, YOU cannot by yourself deem it to be, it must be brought up to a crew chief and if the results are still unsatisfactory, written notice to management should prompt an investigation. But for you alone to stop work on what seems unsafe and your are told otherwise, it could spell trouble for you. And if your city has no markings for a no park zone for the jetbridge, bring it up to your management and the will inform the airport. This is simple stuff.

 

[FWAAA]

Here's a company in Oregon making jetbridge beltloaders that attach in place of the one-way carry-on chute:

http://www.kcigse.com/kci-products/ground-support-equipment/jetbridge-beltloader/
 

 
Looks like a much safer solution for everyone involved.  The chutes work fine when the angle is steep, like an A321 or 757, but when attached to most 76-seaters, the angle is too shallow for the bags to slide down efficiently.   Better solution would be two-way loaders like this.  Much safer than placing a belt-loader right next to the jetbridge.  
 
Someone should talk to management and demand a safer solution.   If only you guys had an effective union that could do that . . . 

 

[robbedagain]

Thanks FWAA. That's really good idea

 

[Kev3188]

That thing is fantastic!

OT: I wonder if that pic is of EUG or MFR?

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

That thing is fantastic!

OT: I wonder if that pic is of EUG or MFR?

 
Agreed Kev,.....but in robbed's case, i still love the............." A picture is like a Thousand Words "   !!!

 

[700UW]

Bob,

You most certainly feel and say something is unsafe and if it's not in the ramp service manual as a procedure you can refuse to do it and call your union rep and safety committee out to the situation.

 

[Jester]

Here's a company in Oregon making jetbridge beltloaders that attach in place of the one-way carry-on chute:

http://www.kcigse.com/kci-products/ground-support-equipment/jetbridge-beltloader/
 

 
Looks like a much safer solution for everyone involved.  The chutes work fine when the angle is steep, like an A321 or 757, but when attached to most 76-seaters, the angle is too shallow for the bags to slide down efficiently.   Better solution would be two-way loaders like this.  Much safer than placing a belt-loader right next to the jetbridge.  
 
Someone should talk to management and demand a safer solution.   If only you guys had an effective union that could do that . . . 

 
I think most of the LAS gates have something like that.  There is a "trolley" like device with a cable attached to an electric motor controlled by switches at the top and the bottom.  From what I have seen, it will hold about 10 gate check bags, and the trolley has a hinge mechanism allowing the box to open creating a ramp to load large wheelchairs.
 
We need something like that in PHX as moving large electric wheelchairs requires the use of a modified belt loader ("chair triever") and an unused jet bridge or transporting the wheelchair to an elevator across the terminal to the gate.  Neither one is convenient for anyone.

 

[T5towbar]

Those are pretty nice. In my hub, rumor has it that the company approved the use of funds to put those kind of belts on certain Express jetways in the near future. Right now, we have flat carts which we stand on (hub management has agreement/disagreement on their use) to handle gate checks on the 145's.  Most of the carts have that non slip surface coating on them, but in the winter, you have to watch what you are doing and don't slip. But the 170/175's, some of the gate checks has to be walked down the jetway stairs. If there are a lot of gate checks, we are allowed to use a beltloader to bring them up. Problem is that you have to find a extra beltloader to do that - during the middle of a heavy bank, that isn't possible. That would be a much better solution, as long as the unit can work in the winter and the motors don't malfunction.  The reason for all of this is the time involved to do a 24 minute turn and an excessive amount of gate checks (30+). There is no safe and fast solution, except a device like this. We've had company and Union meetings about this, since the turn times was reduced, so I think that the hub convinced the company to approve something like this. They've spent money on new retractable A/C hoses and Power Units, so maybe they can do this. 
 

 
I think most of the LAS gates have something like that.  There is a "trolley" like device with a cable attached to an electric motor controlled by switches at the top and the bottom.  From what I have seen, it will hold about 10 gate check bags, and the trolley has a hinge mechanism allowing the box to open creating a ramp to load large wheelchairs.
 
We need something like that in PHX as moving large electric wheelchairs requires the use of a modified belt loader ("chair triever") and an unused jet bridge or transporting the wheelchair to an elevator across the terminal to the gate.  Neither one is convenient for anyone.

Moving wheelchairs is a problem, but mostly we take them thru the terminal to the elevator. You just need the extra manpower getting it in/out of the aircraft, which can be a bear.  I've done that with a regular beltloader and a adjacent gate when the terminal elevator was out of service. That was no fun at all.