Request ID: FOI-1081-2324 Date published: 04 August 2023
You asked
1. Please can you advise if you currently supply front line public facing staff within your service a Swabbing Kit for Forensic DNA Analysis to use if they are assaulted (for example spat at, have blood/ bodily fluids thrown at them) by a member of the public/ service user?
An example of such kit is here - https://www.spservices.co.uk/item/SwabbingKitforForensicDNAAnalysis_102_0_6331_1.html
2. If you do, please can you provide any information such as policies, procedures or guidance issued to staff relating to the use them?
3. Please can you provide the number of assaults on staff where they have been spat at or have blood/ bodily fluids thrown at them for the calendar years 2021 and 2022.
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-1081-2324
Thank you for your request received on 9 July 2023 asking for information about DNA spit kits used by staff.
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 do hold the information you require. You asked:
1. Please can you advise if you currently supply front line public facing staff within your service a Swabbing Kit for Forensic DNA Analysis to use if they are assaulted (for example spat at, have blood/ bodily fluids thrown at them) by a member of the public/ service user?
2. If you do, please can you provide any information such as policies, procedures or guidance issued to staff relating to the use them?
The kits used by staff are issued with the attached instructions/guidance on how to use them. At checkpoints and roadshows our Workplace Violence and Aggression (WVA) Team take staff through how to use them and answer questions. We have also attached the police poster that was used as guidance during these sessions.
3. Please can you provide the number of assaults on staff where they have been spat at or have blood/ bodily fluids thrown at them for the calendar years 2021 and 2022.
Our staff work hard to serve the millions of customers who use the transport network every day and have the right to go about their work without fear or intimidation. We take workplace violence extremely seriously and know that it is underreported, so always encourage staff to report any instance of abuse whether physical or non-physical so that preventative measures can be taken, and the strongest penalties brought against offenders. We have also invested in body-worn cameras for all frontline customer facing roles as they are proving to reduce the risk of assaults, and we fund a team of enforcement officers who were introduced to support frontline staff and tackle workplace violence. A specialist unit within TfL works with both the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and British Transport Police (BTP) to investigate crimes against staff. The WVA Team supports staff and their managers, and assists the Police in the investigation of physical assault and verbal aggression against our staff, which can include public order offences and hate crime. Its purpose is to improve the quality of staff assault investigation and provide feedback to police and other criminal justice partners, as well as improve the victim care and support we provide.
Please see the requested information in the tables below. The requested information has been broken down into staff on the bus network, London Underground network and all other staff for both years. We have also divided it into whether or not the spittle made contact with the victim as many incidents take place because the perpetrator knows the spit will only land on the assault screen, so it becomes a less serious offence.
2021
Bus
Contact
130
No Contact
331
Total
461
LU
Contact
55
No Contact
52
Total
107
Other
Contact
17
No Contact
13
Total
30
All Staff
Contact
202
No Contact
396
Total
598
2022
Bus
Contact
89
No Contact
262
Total
351
LU
Contact
49
No Contact
77
Total
126
Other
Contact
24
No Contact
21
Total
45
All Staff
Contact
162
No Contact
360
Total
522
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
