A former Ryanair baggage handler has been awarded £37,000 compensation in a back injury at work claim. Damian Warcaba suffered an injury in an incident at on July 17th, 2007, while moving aircraft stairs unassisted. Mr Warcaba was brought to the hospital and was unable to work for two months.
The normal operating method requires two people to manoeuvre aircraft stairs manually for about three metres to rest against an aircraft. Ryanair contested the case, claiming that it had given standard training to employees and regretted that the standard operating procedures where not adhered to in practice. Ryanair made the case that Mr Warcarba had not adhered to the standard operating procedures and was therefore solely responsible for his work back injury.
The judge ruled that Ryanair did not provide adequate workers to ensure the correct operating procedures were followed.