Protecting Workers on the Track - Sourcing the protection activity
Request ID: FOI-0043-2223 Date published: 06 May 2022
You asked
Please see email exchange below.
Grateful if you can confirm the following;
1. That the 2 contractors on the framework agreement ate CCS and Morison ( as per my ail below);
2. That the certificate ( as detailed via xxxxx email below), is what both contractors hold, or does it permit 3rd party supply ? Grateful if copies can be provided.
3. If CCS were placed under and restrictions further to the death of an employee at Waterloo station in 2019?
Note that this was raised on the 29th March 2022 and only today the 7th April 2022 have LUL now stated this is Subject to.FOI.
Also grateful for a reason on the conduct below.
Initially xxxxx was corresponding with me, then once I raised a question of the certificate I received the following email from xxxxx.
"Unfortunately will not be able to furnish any further information as you are not using a company email address that is registered on our Safety Critical Database. From the information we have on our database, Centaur Corporate Management is not registered to undertake protection activities."
I note that this was not the case initially, nor is there an mention of FOI.
If this was subject to FOI..
1. Should this not have been stated at the point of my initial email:
2. Again should not xxxxx stated that in his email?.note that I have actually used a company email address.
In addition can you confirm if it is the following;
1. That xxxxx and is team will not engage with companies unless they hold a RISQ licence and that this is a position supported via LUL board ?
2. Who an external company so contact within LUL should they wish to get an understanding or the requirements needed to work within the protection services sector of LUL.
3. Confirm the details of all new companies that have been approved to work via protection activities withib LUL over the last 36 months.
4. Confirmation on which department does this sit ( approval to work within protection activities)
5. Confirmation on how the framework for protection services ( labour supply) is manged and audited for compliance?
6. Is there an independent/external body who audits LUL for compliance? If not which department internally within LUL is responsible for this.
7. The name of Director that oversee this area ( I.e. who xxxxx department repeots into).
Many Thanks
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0043-2223
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request of 8th April 2022.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Your questions are answered in turn below (your original text is shown in italics).
Grateful if you can confirm the following;
1.That the 2 contractors on the framework agreement ate CCS and Morison ( as per my ail below);
Answer: The contractors are “Morson International” and “Cleshar Contract Services”.
2. That the certificate ( as detailed via xxxxx email below), is what both contractors hold, or does it permit 3rd party supply ? Grateful if copies can be provided.
Answer: Both contractors hold a RISQS Certificate of Audit. As requested, copies of the certificates are attached. There are no additional certificates held by Morson or Cleshar. They were the successful bidders for Package 01002 Provision of Safety Critical Resources.
3. If CCS were placed under and restrictions further to the death of an employee at Waterloo station in 2019?
Answer: After the tragic incident at Waterloo there were no restrictions placed on CCS by London Underground / TfL. Note that the cleaning of the travellators at Waterloo London Underground station is contracted to a company called KONE. KONE subcontracted the cleaning element of the travellators to CCS. TfL do not have any direct contract with CCS for this work.
Note that this was raised on the 29th March 2022 and only today the 7th April 2022 have LUL now stated this is Subject to.FOI.
Also grateful for a reason on the conduct below.
Initially xxxxx was corresponding with me, then once I raised a question of the certificate I received the following email from xxxxx.
"Unfortunately will not be able to furnish any further information as you are not using a company email address that is registered on our Safety Critical Database. From the information we have on our database, Centaur Corporate Management is not registered to undertake protection activities."
I note that this was not the case initially, nor is there an mention of FOI.
If this was subject to FOI..
1. Should this not have been stated at the point of my initial email:
2. Again should not xxxxx stated that in his email?.note that I have actually used a company email address.
Answer: The above statements / questions are not requests for recorded information and hence do not fall under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. That said, I can confirm that any request for recorded information sent anywhere within TfL falls under the scope of the Freedom of Information Act and should be addressed accordingly.
In addition can you confirm if it is the following;
1. That xxxxx and is team will not engage with companies unless they hold a RISQ licence and that this is a position supported via LUL board ?
Answer: This is not a request for recorded information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. However, note that the remit of the Compliance & Licensing team is not to engage directly with the public. Public enquiries to TfL should be made via our Customer Services team (see here: https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/) or, where recorded information is being requested, via the Freedom of Information Team (see here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information).
2. Who an external company so contact within LUL should they wish to get an understanding or the requirements needed to work within the protection services sector of LUL.
Answer: Anybody (be they a member of the public or an external company) wishing to contact TfL can do so via our “help and contacts” page (https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/). Any communication sent via this page will work its way to the correct point of contact.
3. Confirm the details of all new companies that have been approved to work via protection activities withib LUL over the last 36 months.
Answer: No new companies have been approved to work on LU protection activities within the last 36 months.
4. Confirmation on which department does this sit ( approval to work within protection activities)
5. Confirmation on how the framework for protection services ( labour supply) is manged and audited for compliance?
Answer: Package 01002 Provision of Safety Critical Resources is let under TfL 00249 Lot 1 Contingent Labour Frameworks. Call off contracts were issued to the successful companies. These call off contracts are managed by the LU Access team. Compliance of protection individuals supplied to this contract is monitored via a team of Access Compliance Inspectors. RISQS have also carried out audits of the companies, which are, as explained on their website: “..intended to facilitate the validation of information submitted by Organisation’s on to the RISQS platform at the prequalification stage and to assess additional areas of compliance as required by Infrastructure Managers and the RISQS Committee. Audits take place upon initial entry to the scheme, on a periodic basis and where there are relevant changes to the Organisation’s information within RISQS.”
6. Is there an independent/external body who audits LUL for compliance? If not which department internally within LUL is responsible for this.
Answer: RISQS carry out audits, as referenced above.
7. The name of Director that oversee this area ( I.e. who xxxxx department repeots into).
Answer: The Director of London Underground Asset Performance and Capital Delivery is Esther Sharples.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
