Whistleblower Exposes London Underground Toxic Dust Risks
Daniel Hughes
A former London Underground cleaner, unfairly sacked after raising concerns about toxic dust and asbestos, wants the public to be aware of potential health hazards. An employment tribunal vindicated his claims, highlighting issues with protective equipment and hazardous waste disposal.
- Former London Underground cleaner Micky Steeds was unfairly dismissed after whistleblowing about toxic dust and asbestos exposure.
- An employment tribunal found his concerns about asbestos, chromium, arsenic, silicates, and iron oxide were 'genuine and reasonable'.
- Steeds reported inadequate protective masks and being trained on asbestos handling only after 19 months of cleaning asbestos-sheathed cables.
- The tribunal also found failures in the appropriate disposal of hazardous waste, which could expose workers and the public.
- London Underground managers had rejected Steeds' complaints, but the tribunal concluded asbestos was present and potentially disturbed by cleaning.
Whistleblower Micky Steeds has blown the lid on toxic dust risks facing London Underground passengers, exposing a disturbing culture of negligence that puts lives at risk. As revealed in an employment tribunal ruling, Mr Steeds' warnings about asbestos and hazardous waste were dismissed as 'genuine and reasonable', forcing him to take matters into his own hands.
Mr Steeds, a former professional boxer who worked for London Underground from 2018, was tasked with cleaning decades of accumulated dust from vents, lift shafts, and confined channels beneath station platforms. He described the work as 'extremely dirty' with dust so thick it obscured his vision on occasion.
His concerns about asbestos contamination escalated when he discovered that for months, proper protective masks were not provided, forcing him to rely on inadequate paper masks. It wasn't until 19 months into the job that he received training on handling asbestos-sheathed cables with stiff vacuum brushes.
Astonishingly, Mr Steeds also uncovered alarming practices regarding hazardous waste disposal. He informed a manager in March 2023 that general waste bags were being used to dispose of hazardous waste, contrary to proper procedures that require double bagging and special disposal. The tribunal concluded this, along with other complaints, constituted protected disclosures.
The judgment noted that London Underground's claims the work was safe and did not disturb asbestos were 'misconceived', with all sites having asbestos reports confirming its presence. Failure to dispose of hazardous waste properly 'may give rise to criminal and civil liability' and expose others to hazardous materials, including asbestos.
Why this matters: This case raises significant questions about the health and safety environment within the London Underground network, not only for its employees but potentially for the millions of passengers who use the service daily. The tribunal's findings underscore the importance of robust health and safety protocols and proper waste disposal in public infrastructure.
What this means for you: What this means for you: If you are a regular user of the London Underground, this report highlights potential historical exposure risks within the network. While the immediate impact on passengers is not fully quantified, it underscores the importance of ongoing oversight of public transport infrastructure and environmental safety.