no sig is right, it's high time airlines, agencies etc get to grips with training and standards.
That's a lovely theory, but will the airlines then be prepared to pay the handling agents for the more skilled personnel they will then have to employ?
I would be only too happy to see a much higher skill base in all aspects of ramp handling, it would make for a much safer environment all round, but what level do you set.
I know from experience that Servisair's training covers their equipment, and some very basic fundamentals of how to use it, but there's nothing worth talking about when it comes to type specific information, which can lead to all sort of anomalies, and on occasions, serious damage to aircraft because of lack of knowledge. I've seen ATR's and Dash 8's grounded because a ramp operative didn't know that they needed a current limiting GPU for start. If things that basic are not known, what chance is there on more serious things?
Fortunately, I have other aviation experience, so I had a pretty good idea of the risks, and was able to respond accordingly.
As an example, moving the prop on (say) a completely shut down HS 748 does not present a serious risk to a ramp person. Doing the same thing on a Seneca ( to get access to the forward baggage hold) could be fatal, but nowhere do they cover those sorts of specifics.
There's a bookfull of other things that are similar, but they are ignored, and the end result is people at risk, often because of the ignorance of the management. Ideally, there should be at least one person on each shift that has a high level of aviation experience and training, but the chances of that happening are about the same as pink snow.