san francisco international airport baggage hygiene policy

APPENDIX A

BAGGAGE HYGIENE REQUIREMENTS

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL

AIRPORT

BAGGAGE HYGIENE POLICY

03/30/13

Prepared by

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

CONVEYOR BAG HYGIENE OVERVIEW

The Airport baggage handling systems transport passenger bags through security screening equipment

that requires bags be tracked throughout their journey from the checked baggage screening area input

conveyors out to the make-up carrousels. Although the baggage handling systems are built to handle

the current bag volumes, the systems have limitations and are susceptible to degraded performance if

certain basic baggage hygiene rules are not followed. Poor bag hygiene results in bag jams, degraded

system performance and even full system outages that affect not only the offender, but all users of the

system. In order to avoid these problems a set of simple baggage hygiene procedures must be

adhered to by everyone who will be using these systems. For this reason, both the TSA and SFO

Airport Authority is requesting that all airlines and baggage service companies reinforce with their front

line supervisors, ticket counter agents and ramp personnel the importance of following proper bag

hygiene procedures and that they go over the following rules that must be practiced at all times.

PASSENGER CHECK-IN PROCEDURES

At the time of passenger check-in, airline customer service agents are requested to ask the passengers

to do the following:

• Remove Straps – Loose straps must be removed from bags or the bags need to be placed in

tubs with all straps inside the tub.

• Remove Old Tags – All old bag tags including tear-off (bingo) tags, cruise ship tags and tour

tags need to be removed from bags.

• Stow Wheeled Bag Handles – Fully retract all bag handles and be sure they are locked in place.

If handle cannot be stowed, agent should place bag on the Oversize line.

• Duffle Bags and Backpacks – All duffle bags and backpacks shall be put into tubs. When tubs

are unavailable, Velcro or snap clasp together all duffel and backpack straps.

• Backpack Hip Supports – Backpack hip supports need to be folded back and tied down around

the backpack so that they do not extend out like wings.

• Remove Dangling Items – All loose ribbons, belts, chains, etc. must be removed or tucked

inside the bag. Utilize airline-provided ID tags as an alternative to bigger personal ID tags.

BAGGAGE CHARACTERISTICS

The table below lists the minimum and maximum baggage dimensions for standard and oversize

conveyor. Items that are larger than the Oversize Conveyor Maximum are considered to be non-

conveyable and must not be placed onto any conveyor, but shall be handled according to manual

oversize procedure. Bags 96” long or greater must be handled according to manual oversize

procedure. General Rule: If an item cannot be easily handled by one person it should not be put on a

conveyor. See the Prohibited Items section for further detail on non-conveyable items. Items that are

smaller than the Standard Conveyor Minimum shall be placed into tubs. See the Tubbing Policy section

for more information.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

Conveyor Type

Length

Width

Height

Standard Conveyor Maximum

52 "

33 "

34 "

Standard Conveyor Minimum

12 "

4 "

Oversize Conveyor Maximum

< 96”

48”

36”

TUBBING POLICY

Bag tubs should be used for any item that is irregular in shape or does not have at least one flat

surface, and will have a tendency to roll around or move while being transported on a conveyor. The

following guidelines shall be used for determining which items should be placed into tubs:

• Items that are smaller than the above-listed size for Standard Conveyor Minimum – Place

into a tub.

• Items Weighing Less than 15 Pounds – Place into a tub with the item to the back of the tub to

ensure that it will pass through the EDS machine.

• Duffle Bags – All duffle bags that are within standard bag size (< 54") should be placed into a

tub.

• Roller Duffle Bags – All duffle bags that are within standard bag size (< 54") should be placed

into a tub.

• Garment Bags – Place into a tub.

• Child Car Seats – Place upside down in a tub with the tag on the outside of any plastic wrap and

the plastic wrap tucked under the seat (See Exhibit 3)

• Small Boxes – Place into a tub.

• Shrink Wrapped Items or Items in Plastic Bags – Place into a tub.

BAGGAGE PLACEMENT ON CONVEYORS

Proper placement of checked baggage on the conveyor system will increase the likelihood that bags

travel through the system without issue. Proper placement also helps reduce the number of bags that

require secondary screening which extends the bags travel time from input point to make-up carousel.

The following guidelines should be adhered to whenever possible:

• General Bag Orientation – Baggage and baggage Tubs must be placed on conveyors such that

its longest dimension is in the direction of conveyor travel and the shortest dimension is its

height.

• Bag Gapping – A minimum 12” gap is required between any two pieces of baggage being

placed on a conveyor to ensure that the system can properly track and distribute the baggage.

(See Exhibits 1 & 2)

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

• Two Wheeled bags – Place onto conveyor with wheels up and with the wheels trailing (bag tag

forward).

• Four Wheeled Bags – Place onto conveyor on its side with the wheels trailing and the bag tag

forward.

• Overstuffed Bags – Overstuffed baggage with rounded surfaces must be placed on the largest

flat surface of the bag, or in a tub.

• Large Boxes – Place on conveyor such that the longest dimension is in the direction of conveyor

travel and the shortest dimension is its height.

• Golf Clubs – Place onto the Oversize conveyor line.

• Items Weighing More than 120 Pounds – Place onto the Oversize conveyor line.

PROHIBITED ITEMS – Not Conveyable

The following items are not allowed to be placed directly onto any conveyor. These items, and items

with similar characteristics, must be handled by the current manual oversize procedures. This list of

prohibited items is not all-inclusive, but serves as an example of non-conveyable items:

• Surf boards

• Skim boards

• Skis and snow boards

• Guitars

• Gun & Rifle Cases

• Hockey sticks

• Baseball bats

• Shovels

• Crutches

• Walkers

• Any item less than 6 inches in height unless it will fit in and is placed into a tub.

• Any item longer that 96” (Note: that the 96” calculation includes straps, handles tags and

any other items that would add to the length of the bag.

CHECKED ITEMS SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE

The baggage handling system transports baggage from the input points through security screening

process and out to the make-up carousels in a manner that does not damage the contents of the

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

average checked bag. This does not mean however that baggage is not jostled and transported in a

manner that may cause damage to the bags contents. The following items if placed directly on the

conveyor or packed in baggage cannot be guaranteed to make it through the system without damage

and therefore should be handled, at the airlines discretion, as oversized or non-conveyable:

• Glassware

• Porcelain objects

• Glass beverage containers including those for wine and hard alcohol

• Electronics

• Musical instruments

• Anything warranting a “Fragile” or “Handle with Care” tag.

BAG TAG PROCEDURES

The baggage handling system depends on being able to read airline generated bag tag bar codes for

tracking the bag through the screening process and delivering it to the correct make-up unit. Following

certain basic bag tag procedures helps increase the likelihood that the tag will be read correctly and

they are as follows:

• Clearly Present Barcodes – Bag tags must be placed on the bag and then onto the conveyer in

such a manner that the tag is clearly presented and the bar codes are unobstructed. This

means tags cannot be wrapped around handles, placed under bags in tubs or covered up by

any part of the bag.

• Remove Old Bag Tags – All old bag tags and tear-offs (bingo) tags must be removed to avoid the

automatic tag reader getting conflicting bar code information.

• Place Tags Outside Plastic Bags – Protective plastic bags can be placed over baggage and

placed directly on the conveyor system on the condition that the bag tag is either applied to the

outside of the plastic bag or is attached to the item inside the plastic bag and then pulled out

through a hole in the plastic bag so that the tag is not obstructed by the opaque plastic bag.

• Limit Use of Expedite Tags – Expedite tags generally do not conform to IATA standards and

therefore can’t be read and properly processed by the baggage handling system.

• Report Poor Tag Print Quality - Poor quality barcodes on tags with incomplete printing or

streaking reduces the probability that the barcode can be read or is even valid. When poor

quality tags are noticed a service call should be made to have the printer serviced.

• Tear Off or “Bingo” Tags – Do not place tear off tags on the bags. They do not increase the bar

code read rate and they litter the system and can damage the screening equipment.

• Use Fallback Tags – The use of locally printed IATA compliant fallback tags is recommended

whenever an airline loses the ability to print tags from its corporate system. These tags are

properly formatted to be read by the baggage handling system and ensure the highest level of

system performance. When fallback tags are used on bags in tubs, do not place the fallback

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

tags directly onto tubs.

PROBLEM ITEM EXAMPLES

Photo 1 – “Unrecognized Tag” caused by multiple barcodes.

Photo 2 – “Jam” caused by one bag being detected as two as a result of gap under bag.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

Photo 3 – “No Read” caused by poor barcode presentation and partially blocked barcode.

Photo 4 – “No Read” caused by COMAIL barcode not fitting sort parameters and unreadable barcode.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

Photo 5 – “No Read” caused by poor tag print quality.

Photo 7 – “No Read” caused by tag being wrapped around handle.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

Photo 8 – “No Read” caused by barcode being blocked by object on bag.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

Exhibit 1 – Improper baggage gapping.

Exhibit 2 – Proper baggage gapping of at least 12 inches.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

Exhibit 3 – Proper placement of child car seats into tubs.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BAG HYGIENE POLICY 3/15/13

Exhibit 4 – Bag Hygiene Placar