Commercial Fixed Wing
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Environment - Non Weather Related; Company Policy
During arriving Flight ABCD; ZZZ1-ZZZ; the ramp crew had approximately 20 gate checked bags that needed to be delivered to the passengers in the jet bridge.  Large numbers of gate checked bags are a constant when dealing with flights utilizing the X type of aircraft.  In ZZZ; the vast majority of these flights were sent to Terminal X; where most of the jet bridges are furnished with conveyor belts allowing for safe delivery of the bags to the passengers.  Since Terminal X is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; these returning aircraft are being sent to Terminal Y where there are not nearly as many jet bridges furnished with said conveyor belts.  Such was the case with Flight ABCD.  The ramp crew needed to walk the baggage up the jet bridge stairs.  Mostly one at a time as this allowed them to maintain a grip on the handrail.  Even though it was the safest way; it puts tremendous strain as they needed to walk up and down approximately 14 steps about twenty times.  The only ways to avoid this is to take two bags at a time; which increases exposure to a fall; hand the bags up to the landing from the ground level; which makes the agent reach repeatedly into the red zone; thus putting them at risk; or use a belt loader to act as a conveyor to the landing; which it isn't designed for.
Ramp worker reported that an inadequate number of conveyor belts at a terminal resulted in ramp crew hand-carrying baggage up jet bridge stairs repeatedly; exposing them to multiple safety risks.