Method to Control Hazards from Carryon luggage on Aircraft

The concepts hazard and danger are used differently with different meanings. Hazards are the circumstances that can lead to illness, injury, and property damage. However, danger is referred as a serious hazard that can lead to undesirable consequences. The warning is one of the strategies that can assist in controlling hazards. Warning consists of safety communication that organizations employ to provide instructions to minimize or avoid undesirable consequences from product-related hazards. (Salvendy, 2012). In the case study, the flight attendant warns the passengers that carryon bags may have moved during the fight. However, the warning is inadequate because the flight management does not implement an adequate safety program to prevent falling carryon luggage. Airline organizations are required to implement a program to control hazards associated with carryon luggage and overhead storage in the future.

The objective of this paper is to discuss the strategy to control the hazards associated with carryon luggage and overhead storage.

Increased capacity passenger overhead bin has made the carryon baggage becoming a source of injury to passengers. The first strategy to control hazards from carryon luggage and overhead storage is that the aircraft personnel should provide adequate information for the passenger the type of items allowed and items not allowed as carryon baggage. For example, carryon baggage should consist of appropriate suitcases of a certain weight, and food and beverages in the shopping bags. Moreover, the carryon bags in the overhead bin should be placed in such a way that it will not move out or fall when the overhead storage is opened. This means carry-on baggage should not be stacked except lighter items that include coats, pillows, and hats that may be stowed on top of the suitcases.

Moreover, aircraft management should implement an effective carryon program that will prevent boarding the luggage that will exceed certain placarded size, weight, or shape limitations for the approved cargo bins. In other words, a carryon luggage program should implement all the procedures that will prevent boarding the luggage that exceeds certain weight and limits. It is also advisable for the airline to restrict a passenger to one bag. The airline operator should use a sizer to serve as a guideline. Moreover, the operator should ascertain that all carryon luggage is placed in the approved cargo compartment and in accordance with approved balanced-weight program. Moreover, the airliner personnel should provide a training program for cabin attendants and ground personnel to take actions when excess baggage are taken to the carry-one baggage compartments. Moreover, the airline management should let passengers be aware of the restrictions and reasons for restrictions.

Baginskis, (1999) suggests using the sizer box at the airport gate to limit the volume of the carry-on-luggage that each passenger is entitled. The sizer box will assist in barring the luggage that does not fit the sizer box. Typically, the airline personnel is required to apply luggage program to limit the "volume of the carry-on baggage that airline passengers are permitted to bring into the main cabin of an airplane.". (Baginskis, 1999, p 260). While passengers may want to carry as many bags as possible with them, it is the responsibility of airline personnel to allow only accepted luggage for the carry-on baggage. The procedure is essential to prevent injuries from the falling luggage and prevent litigation from passengers. Not surprisingly, injuries from the falling bags may lead to a litigation against the airline using negligence actions to file cases.