No Aircraft
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Airport; Human Factors
I am a safety rep assigned to ORD baggage handling. It was brought to my attention this morning that a fellow employee had a serious near miss incident involving two golf carts and an electric baggage tractor. According to the information I received; the golf carts did NOT stop at the stop sign located at the bottom of the B side south ramp incline. The ramp individual on the electric baggage cart had to be alert and take evasive action to avoid a potential tragedy. The electric baggage tractor involved weighs in excess of 6800 LBs alone. We all know who wins this battle. This is not the point that I am trying to make though. This is and has been an ongoing problem that has clearly NOT been addressed. I witness this on a daily basis and report this at virtually every safety meeting but it continues to be an issue. Obviously this is not directed towards [a single contractor] alone. This applies to everyone on the ramp. My biggest safety concern in my work area is this very occurrence. Driving speeds; driving the wrong way and not stopping at stop signs need to be taken seriously and all individuals need be held accountable BEFORE a serious injury or death. I strongly believe that if this does not happen that one day the worst WILL happen. This complete disregard for safety should be the TOP priority for all employees and the appropriate action needs to be taken by management and the employees themselves.
A baggage handler and safety representative at ORD describes a near collision between two golf carts and a baggage tug that was narrowly averted. He believes the primary problem is driving too fast and not obeying traffic rules for airport vehicles.