For travelers, restrictions on baggage weight may mean packing fewer pairs of shoes. For airport baggage handlers, weight restrictions, combined with proper lifting, are important to safety and health but may not be enough to prevent work-related back injuries.
Compared to other occupations, baggage handling has the third-highest rate of musculoskeletal injury, according to the most recent figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Previous studies show that most of these injuries involve the back. One way to prevent back injury is by using mechanized lift-assist systems, but little information is available about their effectiveness in reducing biomechanical risks of back injury among baggage handlers.