BWI Marshall Airport Workers Claim Unsafe Conditions Exist

HANOVER, MD — Workers at BWI Airport have filed a second round of charges with Maryland Occupational Safety and Health against their employer, Menzies Aviation, stating that they feel "unsafe" and their employer has again violated safety regulations. Baltimore City Councilman John Bullock said in a statement released by union 32BJ SEIU that Menzies has not yet fixed all of the MOSH violations reported in April and were fined for in August.

Reggie Adams, a jetway maintenance worker, said in the release that he doesn’t have a tie-off to connect his harness to while on a bridge towering up to 25 feet off the ground or while climbing what he says is an unstable ladder.

“I’ve been afraid to fall off, especially when I’m right on the edge. I’ve never been trained on what to do when I fall, guess I’ll just pray on my way down,” Adams said in the statement. “I need my job, but I can’t keep risking my life to do it."

A representative for Menzies Aviation sent the following statement to Patch: “Safety is always Menzies Aviation’s number one priority at each and every airport in which it operates. At BWI, we are continuously working with our employees to ensure that any valid concerns raised are immediately investigated and addressed if required.”

Senya Abdul-Ghaffar, a fuel farm operator who climbs on top of fuel tanks at least 60 feet off the ground, also does not feel safe and isn't hooked up to a safety mechanism.

“I don’t want to risk my life every day on the job. I need to be here for my daughter! Menzies needs to do better," Abdul-Ghaffar said in the statement.

Bullock insisted that Menzies "must act now to improve the safety of workers at BWI.”

“Their failure to completely fix old safety violations while racking up new ones is unacceptable, especially at our airport," he said.

MOSH COMPLAINT:

Since the abatement deadline, workers have reported that:

• Many jet bridges do not have sufficient tie-off points for safety harnesses once on top of the jet bridge.
• About 49 jet bridges do not have sufficient tie-off points.

Menzies was cited for violating the OSHA standard on fall protection, which requires training on how to minimize fall hazards, on July 11, 2019, and was ordered to abate this issue by Aug. 13, 2019.

• Jet bridge mechanics working on top of jet bridges say they have not been adequately trained on procedures to minimize fall hazards.
• Fuel farm workers say they have not received adequate instructions on how to use safety harnesses to correctly hook up.

Personal Protective Equipment
Menzies workers regularly use powered industrial lifts to perform their job. These lifts use lead acid batteries that jet way mechanics are required to clean and charge. Lack of appropriate protective equipment has led to workers stepping and kneeling in electrolyte spills (sulfuric acid) and prolonged inhalation of fumes (hydrogen gas). Workers claim they:

• Are not equipped with rubber aprons to protect against potential splashes while cleaning lead acid batteries for powered industrial trucks.
• Do not have an adequate ventilation system or respirators to use while cleaning lead batteries.
• Have not been adequately trained on how to use PPE when cleaning lead acid batteries.
• Do not have adequate protective eye and face equipment while cleaning lead acid batteries.
• Have not been adequately trained how to clean lead acid batteries for powered industrial trucks.