Workers' Liberty

You might have noticed that several stations now have moving-image adverts on a 10-foot-high screen on the platform wall. It's all thanks to cross-track projection (XTP).

Tubeworker has reported previously on LUL management's removal of accident books from workplaces.

Management have had a bright idea - you know, one of those that involves compromising safety in order to keep the service running and the cash coming in.

A driver writes about the new film 'Three And Out' here.

The new 09 stock on the Victoria line is a fully automated train with fully automated door opening and closing.

Remember dynamic risk assessments? That's where management - in the person of a Rostered Duty Officer - can make an on-the-spot decision to assess that a particular procedure is 'safe' even if it's against the rules.

The chickens are finally coming home to roost for the Central line's 92 stock, as the motors begin to give up the ghost.

A former driver has won a legal case against LUL after the company's inadequate training caused her to develop a condition that stopped her being able to drive.

Here's RMT's press release ...

When CCTV cameras fail - as recently at Euston - the procedure seems to be that staff are positioned in all areas of the station regardless.

You would think that your health and safety rep was entitled to inspect all the areas where you work, right?

While management still seem to be in denial about the dangers of detraining alone, an incident happened at Queens Park last week that should wake even them from their slumbers.

Mayor Livingstone commisioned a Nuclear Transportation Risk Assesment for London due to concerns about trains carrying nuclear waste through London. This was awarded to Serco Assurance Limited.

There has been a sudden and myseterious change to Section 4.2 of every Section 12 station's Emergency Plan. That's the clause that tells you your minimum staffing numbers, below which you can not open the station.

LUL wants to water dwon your right to refuse to work on safety grounds.

A CSA at Euston station was standing on the gateline, when a ceiling tile landed on his head!

Remember the scandal of the less than adequate train prep on the Central Line when the Metronet strike was called off?

Occupational Health seem to have a case of hearing loss, as they appear not to be listening to Bakerloo drivers' enquiries about, erm, hearing loss.

On last Wednesday's football night, a detrainment CSA was dragged the length of the platform by some blokes who were annoyed that the train wouldn't be going all the way to their destination.

We have reported previously about contractors' failure to empty sanitary bins often enough.

Now it turns out that Metronet has cut the frequency with which it empties the sanitary bins on stations from two weeks (which was already too long a wait) to four weeks.

Literally shocking, as a Bakerloo driver had to go to hospital after getting an electric shock from the Train Ready to Start Plunger in Harrow & Wealdstone Sidings.

Hospital, pah! No need to, erm, take the plunger out of commission, eh? Just keep on using it until we are sure what's wrong.

The Circle and Hammersmith & City lines and the District line's Wimbledon branch have come to a halt this evening as drivers refuse to go along with management's wish to operate trains that may be fatally unsafe.

Tubeworker has told readers before about dynamic risk assessments - otherwise known as 'management making up safety procedures as they go along'.

Recently, the Bakerloo train radio failed (again) between Queen’s Park and Stonebridge Park. LUL could have followed their own rules and sent some hand-held radios up to Stonebridge, shutting down the system until a communication system was in place. But instead, they chose to do a 'dynamic risk assessment', not bother with any proper communication systems and run the trains anyway!

Q: There is a poster in Euston station, saying, 'this passage has been closed due to the safe removal of asbestos'. When enquiring, we were assured there was nothing to worry about. But can we trust them?

A: There are two types of work which deal with asbestos: complete removal, where the material is removed from the structure and disposed of; and encapsulation, where the asbestos is treated and completely sealed.

Wednesday on the Central line saw more evidence of the failures of Metronet - but also an inspiring example of Tube workers acting to defend their own and passengers' safety.

At 9am, an eastbound train became defective at Holland Park. After initially fearing a possible derailment, it then became clear what had actually happened: the negative shoe gear had fallen off, caused by split pins, which lock the nuts in place, not being replaced properly during Tuesday's maintenance. The ERU later found the EPBU cover and negative shoe lying on the track.

As management fell over themselves to get the train service running after the Metronet strike was called off, it appears that they may have been prepared to cut some corners when it came to safety standards. Yes, really.

Drivers arrived at work on Wednesday and rightly insisted on proof that the trains had been prepared properly after the absence of fleet staff during the Metronet strike.

LUL staff are used to management playing fast and loose with safety rules during strikes. Now it seems that Metronet's management have caught on too.

Would you take a drink out of this?! Well, management seem to expect Bakerloo drivers to. Who knows what germs lurk within the water dispenser in the notorious Goldfish Bowl (the drivers' step-back room on the platform at the Elephant)?! There is a horrible stink, and the fridge is appalling too.

Barking sidings are so dark as to be unsafe. The measure for lighting levels is such that over 30 is OK, between 20 and 30 requires a risk assessment, less than 20 and the location should close until the problem is rectified. The level at Barking sidings? 4.

Dear Tubeworker

Staff on the gateline in the busy station where I work face abuse from customers regularly. It can make you angry, and can get you down after a while. Although we have to learn to deal with it and carry on doing our job, I feel that we should not just 'accept' or grow to 'expect' the abuse. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels hard to know how to deal with it.