At Victoria - London Underground's busiest station - Supervisors have been cut to the bone. Control room assistants are currently unlicensed and undergoing training. Revenue Control Inspectors are being instructed to cover supervisors with no local training or familiarisation training being given. They are told to sign in as visitors and cover the job. Revenue Control Medically restricted staff are being instructed to cover these positions even though they can not go onto the track under the TfL board's doctor's instructions.

Often there is only one supervisor on duty, so it is virtually impossible for him/her to carry out decent safety inspections and familiarise staff and operate the control room all at the same time. Additionally he is supposed to supervise three ticket offices and multiple contractors all at once.

Victoria staff have several safety concerns. It is reported that LUL is not carrying out fire extinguisher replacements and some 80% may be out of date. Safety certification may also have expired for: some of the fire suppression equipment on the District Line platform rooms; many electrical appliances; storage licenses. There are no lists of Planned general safety inspections by management on display as the safety culture has also expired! The station radios are lifetime expired and not replaced - could this be to help the local management team earn their performance related bonuses?

Management's own safety posters, such as the electrical shock posters, have information which urgently needs updating. However SQE state there is no budget to do this.

The removal of asbestos in the area above the ceiling tiles has been cancelled again. Another case of finance being put before safety? Many tiles are damaged and cracked, so staff worry that asbestos may escape unnoticed.

Sickness amongst staff is going through the roof as stress levels rise and tempers fray. Duty managers are being pulled from all over the line as the station closes due to staff shortages.

It is time the HMRI turned up and did a full safety audit of the station. Staff with safety concerns should call them on 020 7717 6875 or by email [1].