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The next time airport travelers hand over their ID at a security checkpoint, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer they encounter may be standing instead of sitting.
The TSA has directed the officers assigned to verify passengers’ identification to remain on their feet, saying the new rule is intended to reinforce security and create a more welcoming experience.
The union representing workers, however, argues it could negatively affect both safety and comfort.
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“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” the agency said in a statement to multiple news outlets.
“All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function,” it added.
TSA officers may now be standing, not sitting, while checking travelers’ IDs at airport security checkpoints. (Pedro Portal/The Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The move comes nearly two months after TSA Administrator David Cummins took the helm of the agency and launched an initiative to improve the passenger experience.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) TSA Council 100, which represents TSA officers, criticized the new policy, saying it was not consulted before the change was implemented at most TSA-staffed airports across the U.S.
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Not all U.S. airports are staffed by TSA officers, however. About 20 airports, including San Francisco International Airport and Kansas City International Airport, use private security screeners under the TSA’s Screening Partnership Program.
The union has reportedly argued the chairs provide basic ergonomic and safety support for officers who spend long hours standing and walking on hard floors, and said it plans to challenge the change.
The new policy applies to TSA officers assigned to check passengers’ identification at U.S. airports before security screening. (Valerie Plesch/Getty Images)
“The hard floors they are standing on do not offer any support, which can cause foot and back issues,” said Daniel Bubb, Ph.D., a commercial aviation professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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Bubb, who was previously an airline customer service representative and performed airport security duties, said providing anti-fatigue mats for officers on their feet could help reduce strain from standing on hard airport floors.
“The hard floors they are standing on do not offer any support, which can cause foot and back issues.”
The policy applies only to officers assigned to check passengers’ IDs before security screening, according to reports.
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Officers who operate X-ray scanners for carry-ons may continue to do so while seated, and TSA officers typically rotate through several checkpoint assignments during an eight-hour shift, a spokesperson for the agency told The New York Times.
The TSA says the new policy that officers stand instead of sit is intended to help create a more welcoming and professional experience for travelers. (iStock)
Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog “View From the Wing,” told Fox News Digital he does not expect the change to have much impact on airports or passengers during their travel experience.
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“As a passenger, I don’t care whether the person checking my ID is sitting,” Leff said. “They should be paying attention, treating passengers with respect and moving the line efficiently.”
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He added, “I’m not sure a stool is a problem.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the TSA for additional comment.