No Guard. No Excuse. Jetway Wheel Guards Keep Ramp Crews Alive

Each day on the ramp, crews hustle around heavy machinery—from belt loaders to jetway bridges—to keep aircraft on time and passengers moving. But when jetway wheel guards are missing, broken, or outdated, that essential equipment turns from helpful to hazardous in a heartbeat. And out there, below the wing, one mistake can mean life-altering consequences.

Jetway wheel guards are not just a precaution — they are a line of defense between ramp workers and catastrophic injury.

Last year, over 56 OSHA-reported injuries were directly tied to unsafe jetways. That includes amputations, degloving injuries, fractures, and crush injuries — accidents that happen in an instant but can leave members dealing with pain, surgeries, lost income, and emotional trauma for years.

In total, these injuries resulted in 2,014 lost workdays across the IAM Transportation industry. That’s more than numbers on a chart — that’s groceries not bought, rent not paid, and families stretched thin. 

At the 2025 IAM Safety & Health Conference, union leaders sounded the alarm:

“Report unsafe equipment before someone gets hurt.”

The IAM Reporting System: Turning Reports Into Action

The IAM Reporting System empowers IAM leadership to take safety into their own hands. OSHA injury reports are entered into a centralized database that IAM safety teams use to track trends and help implement real-time fixes. Being in a union has benefits and Schwarz & Schwarz is one of them. The firm has represented ramp workers injured in airport accidents over the past 30 years. 

Understanding the Equipment and the Risks

Companies like ThyssenKrupp and JBT AeroTech manufacture many modern jetways. These structures are engineered with built-in safety components, including wheel guards intended to shield workers from moving parts and pinch zones beneath the jetway.

But here’s the problem: When these guards go missing or are damaged, they expose rotating wheels and rollers capable of pulling in pant legs, sleeves, gloves, and limbs.

Here’s how injuries happen:

  • Degloving injuries occur when a limb is caught between an exposed roller and the tarmac, tearing skin and tissue.

  • Amputations result from high-torque mechanisms trapping hands or feet under unguarded components.

  • Crush injuries and fractures happen when jetways roll or shift unexpectedly, pinning workers against aircraft or other equipment.

The IAM and Schwarz & Schwarz Partnership: Proactive Safety

The IAM has built a working relationship with Schwarz & Schwarz to promote workplace safety. Together, they review OSHA incident information, equipment failures, and maintenance trends to identify the most dangerous areas in IAM members’ workplaces.

Through regular meetings with IAM safety leadership, Schwarz & Schwarz provides insights into OSHA information that can be used to train ramp workers, safety stewards, and local committees, helping to focus attention on the most dangerous equipment and workplace areas. This collaboration also ensures that known defects or high-risk issues are flagged before they lead to injuries.

Backed by the Data, Guided by the Law

Using data from OSHA, the IAM, and Schwarz & Schwarz, it is possible to identify injury patterns and hold responsible third parties accountable when they fail to maintain a safe worksite. OSHA logs help create a picture of:

  • Which locations are falling behind on safety

  • What types of injuries are increasing

  • How equipment failures align with injury spikes

IAM safety teams combine this data with legal understanding to not only push for hazard mitigation but also protect members’ rights when injuries do happen. 

Every IAM member on the ramp is part of the safety chain.

Here’s how you can take action:

  • Inspect the gear. If jetway wheel guards are missing, damaged, or outdated — don’t roll.

  • Report the issue. Speak up and let your safety crew know.

  • Follow up. Talk to your steward or safety rep until it’s resolved.

This isn’t red tape. It’s protection. It’s how we keep our members safe and how we send a clear message: Your safety is non-negotiable.

Because below the wing, we understand the risks, the equipment, and the law — and we use that knowledge to protect members every single day.

Contact us if you have been impacted by an unsafe jetway.