dc.description.abstract | Because of the relaxation of traveling regulations by the government and the booming of the tourism industry between Taiwan and China, the Taoyuan International Airport, the gate of Taiwan, has occupied up to 74.7% of passengers inbound and outbound of the island. Therefore, the ground crew has endured an extremely heavy workload. Ground crew companies, considered a traditional industry, provide services 24-7 regarding aircrafts, cleaning and maintenance, cargos handing and all kinds of needs from the passengers. Besides operating various powered and non-powered equipment, the crew also has to upload and download passengers′ luggage, which is a major role of their duties. Hence the purpose of this study is to investigate the physical hazards of the long-hour and repetitive work activities. It is hoped that findings of this study will alleviate the occupational hazards suffered by airport ground crew and to help improve the crew′s working environment.
A number of employees from the Taoyuan International Airport was selected randomly for this study. This study was divided into three parts. Firstly, physical examination reports were collected and analyzed to see whether there were any connections between their work and their health, especially problems on their cervical, lumber vertebra and sacrum. Then the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire(NMQ) was used to obtain further information on the crew. Finally, the Key Indicators Method, KIM was adopted to observe the work field and evaluate the level of physical hazards. Analyses of the information gathered above revealed the fact that the ground crew’s daily activities caused more disorders on one′s upper back, lower back and musculoskeletal disorder after one had worked on the 1st and 2nd carousel area, luggage uploading zone, bulk tanks and machine under handling. Thus it is recommended to raise the carousel for another 30 cm, to make the uploading channel 15 cm higher, to purchase ramp snake,to implement physical fitness activities, to regularly switch the interior working shift, to promote health management, to apply aids for shortening the handling distance and to establish the workload distributing system.
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