FOI request detail

Guidance issued to staff in event of station fire

Request ID: FOI-0437-2324
Date published: 31 May 2023

You asked

Please could you provide the guidance London Underground staff are issued with with in terms of the emergency procedures they should follow in the event of a fire at a station. This includes the guidance train drivers receive, as well as the guidance station staff please. Please provide the full guidance that staff receive, such as a leaflet indicating all the steps they must take or training documents.

We answered

Our Ref:     FOI-0437-2324    

Thank you for your request received on 15 May 2023 asking for information about the guidance given to staff in the event of a station fire.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require.

The safety of our staff and customers is always our top priority and London Underground is recognised as one of the safest metros around the world. However, we are never complacent, and continuously strive to reduce injuries.

All incidents are managed in line with the London Underground rule books. Where incidents occur outside of these, dynamic risk assessments are carried out by the Service Manager and if necessary the Senior Operating Officer. The rule books detail various rules, instructions, protocols and procedures which London Underground operational staff are governed by. The rule books are exempt from disclosure under sections 24 - national security and 38(1)(b) – health and safety of the FOI Act.

Whilst we make no suggestion that you would use this information for anything other than you own personal interest, disclosure of this information to you has to be regarded as a disclosure to ‘the public at large’. This information could potentially be obtained and utilised by individuals who may wish to use this information to cause disruption or harm to the London Underground network. The London Underground system is an attractive terrorist target for several reasons including, its importance to London and the knock on effect to the nation’s economy if it is disrupted, the publicity gained from attacking an iconic transport system and the attractiveness of the system for a mass casualty attack due to its open, mass transport nature. It is also part of the nation’s critical infrastructure by virtue of its central importance to the functioning of London and its economy.

Disclosure of information could compromise security and safety preparedness on London Underground’s network and would place members of the public and TfL staff at risk by highlighting areas on the network which could be susceptible to being targeted.

Further, there is no meaningful way in which the material can be redacted. While some sentences or passages may appear innocuous in isolation, taken together across the suite of documents it would still allow somebody to build up a detailed picture of operational processes and the language used in the operation of the network.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has previously issued a Decision Notice regarding the application of sections 24 and 38 to withhold information in relation to security at transport hubs. Whilst the information requested in this case is different to the information you have requested, we believe the same arguments can be applied:

https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2017/2013536/fs50633090.pdf

The use of these exemptions are subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, and acknowledge that there may be some interest in the information in question. However, as we believe this information could potentially be obtained and utilised by individuals who may wish to use it to cause disruption or harm to London’s transport infrastructure, in this instance we believe that minimising the risk to that infrastructure and protecting the safety and welfare of members of the general public and our staff outweighs the limited public interest in disclosure.

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.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
Senior FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]

 

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