Request ID: FOI-1549-2122 Date published: 11 November 2021
You asked
Follow-on from FOI-1225-2122:
I politely draw attention to your statement:
"Mitie is a trusted contractor with whom we have a long-standing relationship, and we would have had no reason to doubt what they were saying in their bulletin, there had also been national press coverage regarding this issue."
There is clearly some confusion here, as I am referring to the original incident, which was first report during July 2021. It was then syndicated widely in the national media. Strangely, the *same* story seems to have made a second round in the national media several months later (September 2021).
Examples:
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2021-07-29/woman-cuts-hand-after-removing-anti-mask-poster-with-razor-hidden-behind - July 2021
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-anti-vaccine-posters-found-with-razor-blades-attached-to-back-of-them-to-cut-people-as-they-are-taken-down-union-says-12402796 - September 2021
As you will note, this is an identical incident, not a separate one.
My FOI request is related to the original claims made in/around July 2021. I apologise if that was not clear, but I assumed it was obvious. Therefore your statement that 'there had also been national press coverage regarding this issue' is false as it could be said that TfL in fact 'created' the original press coverage by circulating this SHE Bulletin. Can you please repeat this FOI request with this in mind?
1. Please tell me how many copies of this SHE Bulletin were released.
2. Please provide me with more information about how you verify and "fact-check" claims made in this and all SHE Bulletins (if relevant).
3. Please tell me more about your regulatory standards regarding SHE Bulletins.
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-1549-2122
Thank you for your request received on 19 October 2021 asking for further information about the SHE bulletin issued in September 2021 regarding reports of razor blades attached to posters.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require. You asked:
There is clearly some confusion here, as I am referring to the original incident, which was first report during July 2021.
To confirm, our Bulletin (we have produced only one on this topic) was circulated on 2 September 2021 in response to our having been alerted by Mitie to its own safety bulletin. The Mitie safety bulletin (dated ‘August 2021’) was prompted by the incident in Wales.
It was then syndicated widely in the national media. Strangely, the *same* story seems to have made a second round in the national media several months later (September 2021). Examples: www.itv.com/news/wales/2021-07-29/woman-cuts-hand-after-removing-anti-mask-poster-with-razor-hidden-behind - July 2021 www.news.sky.com/story/covid-19-anti-vaccine-posters-found-with-razor-blades-attached-to-back-of-them-to-cut-people-as-they-are-taken-down-union-says-12402796 - September 2021
As you will note, this is an identical incident, not a separate one.
My FOI request is related to the original claims made in/around July 2021. I apologise if that was not clear, but I assumed it was obvious.
Therefore your statement that 'there had also been national press coverage regarding this issue' is false as it could be said that TfL in fact 'created' the original press coverage by circulating this SHE Bulletin. Can you please repeat this FOI request with this in mind?
Our bulletin was issued on 2 September, by which point there had been media coverage of the incident in Wales. The press coverage in July could not have been prompted by the circulation of our safety bulletin as it had not at that point in time been circulated.
If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free 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
