1 Assisting disabled passengers and persons with reduced mobility (PRMs) and handling heavy equipment such as wheelchairs can pose significant risks to the health and safety of both airport workers and passengers. These include the risk of back injuries, sprains and strains (MSDs) and risks of slips, trips and falls when carrying heavy or awkward loads.
2 This SIM provides advice to inspectors for assessing the measures that have been put in place to assist disabled passengers and PRMs on and off aircraft. It covers those passengers who are less mobile or require use of a wheelchair, including passengers who become incapacitated in flight, or have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
3 The guidance applies to all routine situations, and also outlines good practice that should be followed as far as possible in non-routine or emergency situations. In the case of unforeseen medical emergencies or emergency evacuation of aircraft, contingency plans should be available, and staff should be trained in those aspects of emergency situations for which they may have responsibility.
4 Assisting disabled passengers and PRMs includes handling of passengers throughout the airport, transfer of the passenger between wheelchairs and from wheelchair to aircraft seat, assistance with luggage, checking in, travelling to departure gates, and handling and loading of equipment such as wheelchairs. All of these may present manual handling and other risks and should be part of the employers risk assessment and training procedures where necessary.
5 Inspectors may find guidance on patient lifting in the health services useful in identifying good practice in lifting and handling.
6..The new regulations place the overall duty for ensuring provision of services and assistance to disabled passengers and PRMs on the managing bodies of airports, or the airport operators. Individual airports may provide services themselves or, more likely, contract the service out to ground handling companies.
Health and safety standards and good practice
7 Inspectors should consider the following 4 general aspects of procedures for assisting disabled passengers and PRMs:
Task design and planning;
The load;
Equipment;
Training.
Task design and planning