Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is collaborating with baggage handlers to test three new lifting aids.
The tests are being undertaken to determine whether the lifting aids sufficiently lighten the work of baggage workers, whether they need further development and whether they are suitable for purchase and installation. The initiative follows Schiphol’s earlier announcement that it will purchase 19 baggage robots and 30 lifting aids.
Schiphol is working on introducing properly functioning lifting aids, that can be used by all employees, at every work location in the baggage halls by the end of April 2024 at the latest. In doing so, the airport is improving the working conditions of baggage employees, it said.
The three lifting aids being tested are the Turnable CLS, the e-CLS and the e-CLS Launcher.
Turntable CLS has been developed according to the needs and insights of KLM and Schiphol. This pneumatic lifting aid allows alternating left-to-right and right-to-left operation, which can reduce shoulder complaints.
The airport plans to install a properly functioning lifting aid at every baggage hall work location
Electric lifting aid e-CLS is used to load baggage. It can be calibrated to certain heights, and is considered more user-friendly and safer than existing products.
e-CLS Launcher is also an electric lifting aid, capable of loading the top layer of cases in a baggage container. This is done by means of a drive system on the lifting aid, which eliminates the manual pushing of suitcases.
These tests contribute to the airport’s plan to install a properly functioning lifting aid at every work location in the baggage halls by April 2024. In doing so, Schiphol is taking steps together with the baggage handlers to bring down the physical load for baggage employees, as requested by the Labour Inspectorate of the Netherlands.
Images: Royal Schiphol Group
