Hazardous chemicals including acid and ‘ice melt’ flagged on Tube network
Hazardous chemicals flagged on the Tube network include asbestos, ‘ice melt’ and a release of acid, newly released information shows.
A dozen cases concerning potentially dangerous substances took place in or near the London Underground between last July and May.
In one of the cases, acid was released in an incident logged as ‘assault – physical’ in the Transport for London (TfL) document.
The list was revealed after the Metro asked for the information in light of a reported release of the ‘devil’s breath’ drug on the Tube.
In June, Deborah Oscar described how she felt ‘high’ and ‘sleepy’ within moments of a woman sitting beside her slowly waving a newspaper in an empty carriage on the Elizabeth Line.
The content creator feared she was being targeted for robbery after running into two suspicious men in another carriage as she fled.
There is no record of any such substance having been released in the spreadsheet provided by TfL under the Freedom of Information Act.
However, other incidents were recorded, the most dangerous of which was the acid release on July 12 last year, thought to have taken place on or near Wood Lane outside White City Tube before the victim sought refuge with station staff late at night.
No action was taken by TfL, with British Transport Police (BTP) being informed, according to the log.
The ‘ice melt’ on January 13 led to a station being closed and the area cleaned, with the material logged as a ‘chemical health hazard’.
In five cases, asbestos was discovered, including on November 13, when the find was logged as a ‘near miss incident’ by the operator.
The investigation outcome for each incident reads: ‘Asbestos was discovered during maintenance activities and removed or managed in accordance with TfL policies.
Latest London news
- Mother screamed 'my boy, my boy' after fire ripped through block of flats
- 'A real nuisance' - Londoners have their say on the city's e-bike boom
- Woman screamed 'Oh my god' after man was stabbed to death outside Casino
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's London news hub.
‘No asbestos fibres were released into the air because of the incident.’
A further three cases related to dust being removed – with one classed as: ‘Environmental – air quality.’
A TfL spokesperson said: ‘The majority of these 12 incidents were the discovery of concealed asbestos, which was safely removed with no fibres being released.
‘There was only one occasion of a potentially harmful substance and TfL treats any suspected chemical release on the network extremely seriously.
‘Any incident is managed following appropriate health and safety guidance and the safety of customers is always our highest priority.’
Releasing the information, TfL stated that airborne particulate matter levels on the Tube are ‘well below’ the Health and Safety Executive limits, as well as the more stringent Institute of Occupational Medicine recommendations on most of the network.
However, the operator said that the dust is classified as a hazardous substance in accordance with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations, so has been included in the records.
A BTP spokesperson said the acid attack was a Metropolitan Police case.
Metro has approached the Met for comment.
Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk
MORE: What’s it like unravelling the ‘puzzle’ of Covid-19?
MORE: Woman ‘spiked with Devil’s Breath’ by stranger who sat next to her on empty Tube carriage
MORE: What is devil’s breath? The truth behind the ‘world’s scariest drug’