CAA Act on Cabin Baggage

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As a heads-up to anyone who might be wondering why their (UK) airline is getting difficult about cabin bags, here is an extract from CAA Safety Notice SN-2011/05, which addresses all the safety problems associated with hand baggage. It identifies the problems, then tells airlines what they have to do about them.

Whilst many of the issues were directly related to commercial aspects of the operation, it was still apparent that safety was being compromised due to commercial pressure. There was a lack of standardisation even within the same operator dependent on varying factors. The main safety issues identified were as follows:
 Non-compliance with procedures in an operator’s Operations Manual with regard to size and weight of hand baggage;

 Exits being blocked by hand baggage during boarding and, usually, refuelling;

 Confrontation between cabin crew and ground staff over ownership of delays, possibly leading to non-compliance with safety procedures;

 Confrontation between cabin crew and flight crew members, possibly leading to less effective crew resource management;

 Confrontation between cabin crew and passengers, possibly leading to disruptive behaviour;

 Hand baggage being relocated to the hold (internal or external) without being subject to questioning about content, particularly with regard to spare lithium batteries;

 Numerous items of hand baggage being relocated to the external hold without flight crew knowledge and associated mass and balance onsiderations;

 Hand baggage being relocated to the internal hold without flight crew knowledge or the supervision of an aircraft loader, and associated mass and balance considerations;

 Hand baggage being stowed in non-approved stowages including toilets;

 Aircraft taxiing whilst cabin crew were still trying to stow hand baggage;
 Passengers standing during taxiing due to inability to stow hand baggage; and

 Unrestrained hand baggage being carried on the flight deck.

3 Compliance/Action to be taken

3.1 Operators should review their procedures to ensure that they comply with the requirements of OPS 1.270, Appendix 1 to OPS 1.270, Appendix 1 to OPS 1.305, IEM OPS 1.305, OPS 1.325 and Appendix 1 to OPS 1.625.
 Procedures must be in place to ensure that only such hand baggage is taken into the aircraft that can be adequately and securely stowed;

 Procedures must be in place for flight and cabin crew to verify that if hand baggage is relocated to the hold, it does not contain dangerous goods that are only permitted in carryon baggage such as spare lithium batteries;

 Procedures must be in place to ensure that if any last minute change occurs after the completion of the mass and balance documentation, this must be brought to the attention of the commander and the documentation amended if appropriate;

 Items of hand baggage must not be stowed in toilets or other non-approved stowages;

 Exits must be available for use should an emergency arise during refuelling/defuelling and must not be obstructed;

 Passengers must be secured in their seats with their seat belts fastened prior to taxiing;

 All escape paths and exits must be unobstructed prior to taxiing; and

 Items of hand baggage must not be carried, unrestrained, on the flight deck.

Hmmm, some items there that may be trickier than the writer realises, methinks....but, in general, action on allowing stupid hand baggage on board is long overdue, even when this is encouraged by the operator by penalising hold baggage.