1 week Ago By [email protected] (Joe Coughlan)
A busy London Underground station has been confirmed as having asbestos present by Transport for London . The transport authority said that while asbestos was present in the station and across other location on its network, there was no risk present for staff or members of the public. Transport for London (TfL) said in a response to a Freedom of Information request (FoI) last week that asbestos was present at Notting Hill Gate London Underground station.
A report detailing several inspections at the station confirmed the material was present across several areas. The report claimed asbestos was known to be present in the cement and cable sheath of Platform 3 of Notting Hill Gate station as of June 2022. It was also found more recently in sheeting along the main passage and circulation area of the station building in January last year.
The FoI case officer said: "Due to the age of the Underground, asbestos is found in a number of locations on the network. However, in public areas the vast majority of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) are contained behind station finishes and cannot be accessed by the general public. They added: "Where ACMs are found in public areas, they are located where they cause no risk to the general public or staff.
" The officer added that all stations on the network were periodically inspected to ensure no damage had been done to pose a risk to the public or staff. They said a risk assessment is undertaken when a situation like this occurs to determine whether the asbestos should be encapsulated, encased or removed. A number of procedures that the authority has in place to ensure asbestos management is compliant with national regulations were also outlined.
Such practises included identified the location of hazardous materials, maintaining an asbestos register ang regularly inspecting known instances of asbestos. The officer said: "It is London Underground’s policy to continue to safely manage ACMs in-situ, through continued management surveys, re-inspections, risk assessments and pre-work Refurbishment & Demolition (R&D) surveys. We also carry out airborne fibre monitoring for asbestos for reassurance during work on or near to asbestos containing materials.
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