As mentioned in the previous article, the adoption of automated conveyor lines in airport logistics has greatly improved the efficiency of baggage sorting, but it still leaves the problem of the "last meter" - the loading and unloading operation of the "baggage system", which is still manual effort.
In other words, when passengers deliver their baggage, the connecting work from the conveyor belt to the turnover trolley is completed by manual handling; when passengers get off the plane, before the baggage arrives at the pick-up desk, the connecting work from the turnover trolley to the conveyor belt is still completed by manual handling. How to achieve cost reduction and efficiency in this part of work?
Figure 1: Use Spreader Move Luggage From Trolley To Conveyor Line
Until there is a solution, a "pain spot" is nothing because people have to accept it and get used to it. Only after the new solution is known by more and more people, the "pain spot" will make people feel the "pain" and will trigger the motivation to improve!
Ergo Handling Solution
MOOPEC recommends you - airport logistics baggage sorting labor-saving spreader (i.e. vacuum spreader), the equipment can further realize the reduction of manpower and increase efficiency, not only greatly reduce the workload, more significantly reduce the number of operators, significantly improve operational efficiency, more effectively avoid luggage bumping damage, at the same time, so that the once heavy physical positions "recruitment difficulties" problem has been effectively solved.
Figure 2: Use Spreader Move Luggage from Conveyor Line to Trolley
The automated conveyor line can effectively solve the problem of long-distance transportation of luggage and parcels; the information software can effectively solve important matters such as luggage scheduling, distribution and information transmission, but the luggage and parcels can only be carried manually from the conveyor line to the transfer trolley and from the transfer trolley to the conveyor line in the past. With the force-saving spreader recommended by MOOPEC, the gravity-free floating state can be realized, and "weight" is no longer a burden, but has become a carrier for "happy work".
Regardless of the posture of the luggage, whether horizontal or vertical, it can be quickly grasped; regardless of the posture in which the luggage needs to be placed, whether horizontal or vertical, the same can be done conveniently.
Figure 3: Indiscriminately Grabbed By Spreader
Or, just a bag or package that is just as indiscriminately grabbed.
Figure 4: Cope With Cardboard Boxes
Or, the consignment is packed in cardboard boxes, which can easily cope with it.
Figure 4: Cope With Cardboard Boxes
In practice, it is often necessary to go inside the trolley to pick up the luggage or put the luggage inside the trolley, and the flexible labor-saving spreader can also adapt to the needs of special scenarios.
Figure 5: Put The Luggage Inside The Trolley
Of course, this applies not only to airport logistics, but also to the large number of passenger luggage and parcel handling jobs on cruise ships.
Figure 5: Luggage And Parcel Handling On Cruise Ships
Workload of Baggage Handlers
Do you know how much does a baggage handler lift every day?
Figure 6: How Much Can You Lift?
In the case of London Heathrow International Airport, for example, the average daily handling workload per person is equivalent to the weight of 5 Mini Cooper (the weight of) - 4F international airport, which completed 80,884,300 passengers in 2019 (ranked 7th in the world), with 4 terminals and 2 runways.
Figure 6: A Baggage Handler Workload Equivalent To 5 Mini Cooper
Take Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport as an example, to January 18, 2020 even exceeded 90,000 pieces, reaching 90,155 pieces, the most checked baggage in a single day, the average every minute to handle 62.5 pieces of baggage. With this projection, it may reach or even more than 2 pieces of baggage need to be handled per second during peak hours. To ensure such a fast pace, the simplest and most brutal way is to hire more people but that may lead to new inefficiencies.
Damage Caused By Frequent Handling
Unsustainable Efficiency
Look at the following chart. It is most efficient in the morning when you start work, then decays all the way. After lunch, after replenishing energy and proper rest, there is some recovery. Then, it decays more rapidly again.
Figure 7: Lifter V.S. Manual Lifting
Violent loading and unloading causes problems
Just because it is difficult to keep working in efficiency, physical fatigue is difficult to stop, and the peak of work comes, the workers are unable to handle, but the arrival and departure flights are continuous, violent loading and unloading is inevitable, and the resulting cargo damage and dispute problems become unavoidable.
Work-related Injuries
Baggage handling may seem like a simple job, but it involves a lot of bending, twisting and lifting under load, which can easily lead to workplace injuries and strain injuries.
Figure 8: Baggage Handling Lead To Injuries
These work-related injuries or physical strain injuries may seem minor, but when injuries occur, the consequences can be quite serious.
01 Impact Damage
Heavy lifting is highly susceptible to impact/impact injuries or finger and other shear injuries.
02 Lumbar Disc Herniation
Prolonged weight-bearing work or an unreasonable operation action can lead to lumbar disc herniation, which is caused by a lumbar disc protruding backward and compressing local nerves, resulting in symptoms such as joint swelling, pain and restricted movement, and in severe cases, incomplete paralysis of both lower limbs may result.
03 Fasciitis
Fasciitis is a non-specific inflammation, usually due to muscle injury, and can also occur when the body is attacked by wind and cold, causing back pain, muscle pain, and difficulty bending over.
Difficult to recruit for heavy duty jobs
As China's demographic dividend fades, there is a clear trend of change in the labor market, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to see candidates for heavy manual jobs.
Corporate hidden losses
According to data reported by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2004, 25.9 million people lost an average of 7.2 days of work due to low back pain, for a total of 186.7 million work days lost that year.
The cost of sick leave and injury-related expenses for companies involved in heavy physical positions has never been a small number. With the increasing protection of employees' interests and the increasing number of corporate disputes arising from occupational diseases such as employees' work injuries and back strains, the social responsibility that companies should have assumed is becoming more and more prominent.
Benefits created by labor-saving spreader
After setting the sensor for comparison experimental test, the results show that: after putting in the labor-saving spreader
01 Reduction
Reduces back muscle tension by 88%，reduces shoulder muscle tension by 76%
02 Creation
The operator's fatigue caused by lifting operations is significantly reduced. Operators are able to maintain constant work efficiency throughout the day. Job discrimination is eliminated, and female workers are able to perform and enjoy their work.
Take London Heathrow Airport as an example, the daily baggage handling volume of the airport is more than 100,000 pieces, based on the concept of employing people in European and American enterprises (using tools as much as possible without people) and the concept of employee protection, the use of labor-saving spreaders has been tried early on, and thousands of labor-saving spreaders have been invested and purchased for the baggage parcel turnover in airport logistics.
The huge volume and fast-paced baggage handling brought about continuous bending, twisting and lifting movements of the body under the heavy workload of the porters, which had caused many problems. With the introduction of labor-saving spreaders, the workload has been reduced by more than 80% and the number of corresponding porter positions has been significantly reduced. Well-trained baggage handling operators make airport logistics more efficient!