No Belt Loaders to DASH-8 Aircraft

[robbedagain]

got told yesterday that the policy was effective back in April that no belt loaders are allowed to be used for DASH-8 aircraft except for the wheel chairs and heavy stuff. Tina Weaver was the one who sent the memo. Now I dont know bout anyone but if I seriously injure my back due to this policy Id look at hiring a lawyer for a lawsuit becasue all the bags are heavy and as big as the plane. If we get caught we were told we get ESONS would be handed out thats fine by me Ill take that for using a belt loader. But I dont know if the FAA catches us what the penalty will be but Id imagine it be stiff please enlighten on this

 

[malikie]

Worked six years on the ramp for Comair and did not have belt loaders until the 70 seaters arrived. Not once had a back injury from loading bags into the cargo bin. If bags are heavy you ask for help. for all others use proper lifting procedures and you will be fine.

 

[luvn737s]

I thought the ramp just opened up the bags and took out all those heavy iPods, Cameras,Laptops, etc. until they were light enough to load.

 

[robbedagain]

Worked six years on the ramp for Comair and did not have belt loaders until the 70 seaters arrived. Not once had a back injury from loading bags into the cargo bin. If bags are heavy you ask for help. for all others use proper lifting procedures and you will be fine.

thats dangerous but we do use proper techniques but still

 

[necigrad]

I've been working with the Dash 8 on the West side for years. I can not EVER remember beltloaders being permitted. It's been considered far too tight and crowded for motorized equipment that isn't needed.

 

[cynic]

I thought the ramp just opened up the bags and took out all those heavy iPods, Cameras,Laptops, etc. until they were light enough to load.

I don't know about that but I frequently see bags come flying out the back and landing with a thud.

 

[700UW]

The FAA cant fine you for using a beltoader on an airplane, they can fine the company for not following procedures, file a grievance, opps thats right your non-union, call osha.

 

[necigrad]

The FAA cant fine you for using a beltoader on an airplane, they can fine the company for not following procedures, file a grievance, opps thats right your non-union, call osha.

Pretty sure robbedagain is Mainline (thus IAM), and I'm mainline, so this is wrong. Well, the last part is, the first part is dead on.

 

[Ttailfan]

got told yesterday that the policy was effective back in April that no belt loaders are allowed to be used for DASH-8 aircraft except for the wheel chairs and heavy stuff. Tina Weaver was the one who sent the memo. Now I dont know bout anyone but if I seriously injure my back due to this policy Id look at hiring a lawyer for a lawsuit becasue all the bags are heavy and as big as the plane. If we get caught we were told we get ESONS would be handed out thats fine by me Ill take that for using a belt loader. But I dont know if the FAA catches us what the penalty will be but Id imagine it be stiff please enlighten on this

I've only worked the "toy" jets myself, never a Dash 8, but aren't the fuselage of the CRJ and the Dash 8 basically the same? It has always been my understanding that both the CRJ and DHC-8s are the same basic aircraft and the 135/145s are just jet versions of the EMB120s.

So why can we use belt loaders on our CRJs, but you can't on the Dash 8. Which airline are you working for? Is it just a new airline policy, or is this a FAA ruling? I'm confused...

 

[Hope777]

I've been working with the Dash 8 on the West side for years. I can not EVER remember beltloaders being permitted. It's been considered far too tight and crowded for motorized equipment that isn't needed.

Lets not get into the differences between the East and West Fleet. Durring a recent Safety Audit, our station was written up for using a beltloader on the Dash. They claimed because the beltloader was UNDER the rear of the Number 1 Engine, that was the problem and decided to change the policy a Not allow Beltloaders on the Dash. I think it is Crazy to Not be allowed to use a Belt. It is another example of someone with ZERO knowledge of working an aircraft making decissions that make no sense.

 

[Dorf]

Lets not get into the differences between the East and West Fleet. Durring a recent Safety Audit, our station was written up for using a beltloader on the Dash. They claimed because the beltloader was UNDER the rear of the Number 1 Engine, that was the problem and decided to change the policy a Not allow Beltloaders on the Dash. I think it is Crazy to Not be allowed to use a Belt. It is another example of someone with ZERO knowledge of working an aircraft making decissions that make no sense.

And yet there looks to be much greater clearance on the Dash as there is on the erj145 or crj...go figure.

Dorf

 

[robbedagain]

700 Im back at mainline since last nov. however we were shown a policy written that we cannot use a belt loader except for heavy whlchairs because our city was one that got auditied numerous times and got nailed each time for using a belt loader. A crj has their bins much higher off the ground and under the number one engine vs the DASH 9 whereas its cargo bin is well behind the nbr 1 engine. I CHALLENGE ALL MGMT TEAMS from both mainline and express to jump their butts into the dash 8 bins and see how hurt they get just lifting or picking up bags to load or unload and see how long they last!

 

[Ttailfan]

Lets not get into the differences between the East and West Fleet. Durring a recent Safety Audit, our station was written up for using a beltloader on the Dash. They claimed because the beltloader was UNDER the rear of the Number 1 Engine, that was the problem and decided to change the policy a Not allow Beltloaders on the Dash. I think it is Crazy to Not be allowed to use a Belt. It is another example of someone with ZERO knowledge of working an aircraft making decissions that make no sense.

The belt loader is directly under the #1 engine on the CRJ and ERJs, too. And you practically have to lay down on the belt to get in the bin. We use the belt loader on every flight we handle out of our station on both the jungle jets and the CRJ.

I'm reasonably new to the biz, but this makes no sense to me. Like it was mentioned, someone who sits behind a desk and has never worked, or hasn't worked in a very long time, on a AOA.

 

[john john]

except for heavy whlchairs

Sometimes it’s safe and sometimes it’s not you can’t have both ways
Safety is practice all the time just not some times

 

[wings396]

I worked the DH-8's for years, and always used a beltloader. If anyone wants to lift bags from the cart to the elevated level of the cargo door, be my guest. Without using a beltloader, you will be getting a lot closer to that engine with a tug and cart. I never knew of any A/C damage done at my station as a result of using a beltloader on a DH-8, and we worked lots of them on a daily basis. I for one prefer to save my back, but you can't tell anything to the new young bucks until they get hurt. Working SMART is the best and only way to stay inury free in this industry. Beltloaders are there for a reason, use them whenever you can.