The ASLEF THSC reps produce regular bulletins about the issues they are dealing with.
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You can read previous editions here.
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Got a question ?
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You can find a quick guide to common H&S safety issues on London Underground here.
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Protecting our members Health and Safety at work is always a key priority for ASLEF. Contact details for your local H&S rep are displayed on depot notice boards.
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You can also get in touch with the ASLEF London Underground Trains Health and Safety council reps who will be happy to help with any questions or issues. Their contact details are here.
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ASLEF THSC reps produce regular bulletins about the problems and issues they are dealing with. The latest edition is here. Please email juliman66@gmail.com to be added to our mailing list.
Our campaigns.
Safety at the PTI.
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The Platform Train Interface is the top risk area for passengers on London Underground and any incident can have a significant impact on drivers. The picture shows a view that drivers see on a daily basis.
If drivers cannot view the full length of the PTI we would advise drivers to follow rule book procedures set out as follows:-
Rule Book 6
“When operating a train you must not move your train until it’s safe to do so”.
Rule Book 8
“As a Train Operator you must check the entire PTI before leaving the platform”.
Therefore if you are unable to see the full PTI (the point at which the train meets the platform) due to passengers obstructing your view, we advise that you do not move your train and ask for assisted despatch if station staff are not already present.
Any issues relating to the Platform Train Interface, such as poor quality pictures or misaligned cameras, should be reported to Service Control immediately and your local H&S Rep advised.
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There is a legal right to refuse to work on grounds of serious and imminent danger.
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Click on this link to read the London Underground policy.
The latest update from your ASLEF Trains Health and Safety reps is here.
Stop the noise !
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January 29, 2018 Track Noise on LU.
As drivers we have always worked in a noisy environment; however the situation appears to have recently worsened considerably across London Underground. Your THSC reps urgently raised this with management. LU conceded that their attempts to reduce noise levels for those living in close proximity to the railways, particularly in basements near to tube tunnels, has resulted in increased airborne noise within the tunnels affecting drivers and passengers alike.
Many of you will have seen the report on the BBC website stating that noise on the Underground could damage hearing. It is no coincidence that the areas with the highest recorded sound levels are also where we believe the new ‘Pandrol Vanguard’ rail has been installed. In addition we believe there is a more general issue of higher noise levels across LU which needs to be dealt with.
LU have always stated that sound levels are below legal limits and use that as a basis to not take any further action, however it has been identified that high noise levels are stressful to the body and we have asked that all drivers are offered hearing protection until LU find a solution to the track noise issue. We are still waiting to hear back from LU on this and therefore we will be asking for an urgent Director’s meeting to discuss the findings of the programme and what mitigation LU are putting in place until a permanent solution can be found..
It is not acceptable that LU seems to be putting the needs of those living in the proximity of the railway over that of their employees and we will be asking them to take urgent action before we are forced to take action ourselves.
Please continue to report areas of noisy track to management and your safety reps, we will provide an update following the meeting
Details of the regulations governing health and safety in the workplace are set out in the "brown book. Just click on the picture to read it.
Make our cabs safe !
January 11, 2018 ASLEF H&S reps insist on safe and secure driving cabs.
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No matter what stock you are driving all Train Operators have one thing in common, we all have a J door behind us. That means any issues with the J door affect us all.
Every driver knows just how insecure our cabs are. J doors can be opened by a simple ring pull or a key readily available on the internet, local supermarket, or DIY store.
That is simply not good enough. In a time of heightened terrorist threats to public transport, where assaults on drivers and the risk of “active shooter” or bladed weapons attacks have become the “new normal”, London Underground have a duty to ensure drivers are safe while carrying out our duties.
Management have come out with a long list of excuses for their failure to make our cabs secure. As always they complain about the costs, while they never have trouble finding money for their own pet projects. They even went as far to say that, even if a driver was seriously injured or killed it would be unlikely to alter the ‘risk profile’ and make them take any action!
We understand the need for passengers to be able to exit through the J door in an emergency but it would be relatively simple to provide this while still keeping cabs secure.
Despite being stonewalled at every meeting, your ASLEF Tier 2 Health & Safety Reps have persisted with the argument for improved security. Management have accepted that train cabs are not a ‘place of safety’ and we have forced LU to seriously consider options for security improvements.
This issue was also raised by ASLEF in November at a security summit with the Mayor of London and at that time the Managing Director of London Underground gave an assurance that money would be made available. However we are now being told by management that cab security will have to compete with other ‘risk reduction measures’ on the basis of what LU sees as benefits - such as Lost Customer Hours and the safety of their assets such as trains and stations.
As the decision whether to do this work is coming up in February, it will be crunch time for the next steps we take.
ASLEF believe that drivers must be entitled to carry out our duties in a safe and secure environment. If management try to evade their responsibilities then the decision on what we do as a Union will rests with you, our members.
Please speak to your reps and give them your feedback and attend branch meetings to raise your concerns.
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