According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Inspect carry-on items, using x-ray viewing equipment, to determine whether items contain objects that warrant further investigation. | 98% |
| Search carry-on or checked baggage by hand when it is suspected to contain prohibited items such as weapons. | 96% |
| View images of checked bags and cargo, using remote screening equipment, and alert baggage screeners or handlers to any possible problems. | 94% |
| Check passengers' tickets to ensure that they are valid, and to determine whether passengers have designations that require special handling, such as providing photo identification. | 94% |
| Test baggage for any explosive materials, using equipment such as explosive detection machines or chemical swab systems. | 93% |
| Perform pat-down or hand-held wand searches of passengers who have triggered machine alarms, who are unable to pass through metal detectors, or who have been randomly identified for such searches. | 93% |
| Notify supervisors or other appropriate personnel when security breaches occur. | 92% |
| Send checked baggage through automated screening machines, and set bags aside for searching or rescreening as indicated by equipment. | 92% |
| Decide whether baggage that triggers alarms should be searched or should be allowed to pass through. | 91% |
| Locate suspicious bags pictured in printouts sent from remote monitoring areas, and set these bags aside for inspection. | 91% |
| Follow those who breach security until police or other security personnel arrive to apprehend them. | 91% |
| Inform other screeners when baggage should not be opened because it might contain explosives. | 90% |
| Inspect checked baggage for signs of tampering. | 88% |
| Ask passengers to remove shoes and divest themselves of metal objects prior to walking through metal detectors. | 88% |
| Close entry areas following security breaches or reopen areas after receiving notification that the airport is secure. | 86% |
| Challenge suspicious people, requesting their badges and asking what their business is in a particular areas. | 84% |
| Patrol work areas to detect any suspicious items. | 84% |
| Contact police directly in cases of urgent security issues, using phones or two-way radios. | 83% |
| Record information about any baggage that sets off alarms in monitoring equipment. | 83% |
| Watch for potentially dangerous persons whose pictures are posted at checkpoints. | 80% |
| Contact leads or supervisors to discuss objects of concern that are not on prohibited object lists. | 79% |
| Confiscate dangerous items and hazardous materials found in opened bags and turn them over to airlines for disposal. | 78% |
| Monitor passenger flow through screening checkpoints to ensure order and efficiency. | 75% |
| Inform passengers of how to mail prohibited items to themselves, or confiscate these items. | 72% |
| Provide directions and respond to passenger inquiries. | 67% |
| Direct passengers to areas where they can pick up their baggage after screening is complete. | 67% |
