Rail union TSSA has begun a new major new campaign calling\u00a0for cleaner air on the London Underground – appealing for increased investment including air filtration, ventilation and air quality monitoring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
TSSA is raising awareness of low air quality and high levels of steel particulate matter on the Tube network which are breathed in by both our members and the public each day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Underground is a public space, but because it is a workplace it is governed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) air quality regulations. TSSA wants the HSE to harmonise their clean air regulations with the more robust Institute of Occupational Medicine standards.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Speaking after the campaign launch at Kings Cross station TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, said: <\/strong>\u201cOur campaign is vital because poor air quality means that the Underground network in London is now one of the dirtiest in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Mayor has rightly made air quality above ground a priority, but so many of us \u2013 from people on their commute and children on the way to school, to London Underground workers supporting those vital services \u2013 breathe the dust below ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhile some progress has been made on this issue, bringing down dust levels and trialling new technology, we need to build on that work and take things further. Our London Underground members have reported being able to taste it in the atmosphere and see it gradually accumulate on surfaces throughout their working day. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s time to act and TSSA\u2019s \u2018Clear the Air\u2019 campaign is calling for a concerted push to clean up London Underground \u2013 tackling the dust and raising air quality standards in workplaces and public spaces.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Campaign briefing<\/strong> – can be found here<\/a><\/p>\n Background to the campaign: <\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n *<\/strong>London Underground has been named the dirtiest metro<\/a> system in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 The air quality issues arise from the steel particulate matter kicked up by trains as they move along the track, especially as they brake. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 Not all tube lines are affected equally \u2013 for instance, the Victoria, Central and Northern lines are amongst the worst affected.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 Measuring the health effects of particulate matter is difficult, and establishing a causal link between symptoms and poor air quality can be hard, especially because the nature of the particulate matter on the Underground is different to that on the surface. However, it is widely established that excessive exposure to dust \u2013 especially smaller respirable particulate matter which can get into the blood stream (PM2.5) \u2013 is dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 If not causation, there has been some correlation found between sickness absences and workers exposure to PM2.5 on the tube, especially for drivers and customer service staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002) Act sets acceptable levels of exposure to particulate matter in the workplace. These regulations are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 According to the HSE<\/a>, acceptable levels for inhalable and respirable forms of particulate matter are 10 and 4 mg\/m\u00b3 respectively.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 London Underground is a workplace, but it is also a public space. While there are clean air standards for the outdoors, there are no similar overarching indoor air quality regulations<\/a> for public spaces outside of the HSE standards or building construction regulations. \u00a0 How dirty is the air on the tube? <\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 TfL acknowledge that there is a need to reduce dust<\/a> on London Underground . \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 Currently, under current air quality monitoring regimes, air quality on the tube has been found to comply with HSE standards. However, the Institute for Occupational Medicine (IOM) has said<\/a> that these standards \u2018are unsafe and it would be prudent to reduce exposures as far below these limits as is reasonably practicable\u2019, instead recommending 5 and 1 mg\/m\u00b3 for inhalable and respirable particulate matter, respectively. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 HSE regulations also fall well below<\/a> World Health Organisation standards. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 Some tube lines have also been found to be IOM compliant, which is positive, but there is still much work to do. \u00a0<\/p>\n
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