A former Ryanair baggage handler has been awarded €45,000 compensation for a work back injury. Damian Warcaba of Malahide, County Dublin, was injured in an incident at Dublin Airport on July 17th, 2007, while moving aircraft stairs unassisted. Mr Warcaba was brought to to Beaumont Hospital and was out of work for two months.
The standard operating procedure requires two people to manoeuvre aircraft stairs manually for about three metres to rest against an aircraft. Ryanair contested the case, saying that it provided standard training to employees and regretted that the standard operating procedures where not adhered to in practice. Ryanair pointed out that Mr Warcarba had breached the standard operating procedures and was therefore solely responsible for his work back injury.
Mr Justice Peter Charleton ruled in the High Court that Ryanair did not provide sufficient workers to ensure the correct operating procedures were followed.