Staff at Moorgate station have been observed wearing face masks for about one year. In connection with this could you provide any information that answers or could help to answer these questions: 1. Are these provided by employer or is employees own initiative at their own cost? 2. What hazards are there or believed to be potentially there by staff? I.e. is it fear over asbestos at the station, some other asbestos like dust, cold/influenza or some other viruses, some chemicals etc? While I understand that you might not have detailed policy document explaining what is the reason behind it I would expect at least some of the information to exist through some minutes of meetings, emails and other communications etc. Please provide either answers to those questions or any information that sheds light on what the answers might be.

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TfL Ref: FOI-4508-1718

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 12 February 2018 asking for information about Moorgate station.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked:

Staff at Moorgate station have been observed wearing face masks for about one year. In connection with this could you provide any information that answers or could help to answer these questions:

1. Are these provided by employer or is employees own initiative at their own cost?

We understand that the staff you are referring to were not TfL employees and, to confirm, we do not hold any information in relation to TfL employees wearing face masks at Moorgate station. We do not provide these as there are no regulatory reasons that staff would need to routinely wear respiratory protection.

2. What hazards are there or believed to be potentially there by staff? I.e. is it fear over asbestos at the station, some other asbestos like dust, cold/influenza or some other viruses, some chemicals etc?

On the 21st November 2017 TfL took three static 1 hour respirable dust samples at platforms 8,9, & 10. The levels were 0.358, 0.201, and 0.241 mg/m3 of air. The legal limit is 4mg/m3 for 8 hour hours time equivalent average. TfL aim to achieve a figure below 1mg /m3. These figures are comparable with figures seen in an ESG (Occupational Hygiene Company) report for Govia Thameslink which had 6 personal work shift samples which ranged from 0.13 to 0.61mg/m3 for 8 hour work shift samples.

A report from ESG to Govia Thameslink (and quoted in the Evening Standard on the 10th November 2017) states that fungal plate counts for samples taken inside and outside the station were 'above recommended levels' . There are no regulatory standards for airborne mould spores nor are there any formal guidance. The figures quoted in the report are comparable to the ranges found in the open environment and far lower than what would be encountered in a forest.

Examination of research in this field highlights the work of Bryce Kendrick, a distinguished Mycologist and author of the benchmark textbook on Mycology the 5th Kingdom. Kendrick has attempted to estimate the potential Lowest Observed Effect Level (LOEL) for non sensitised populations and concluded that 10(5) for diverse fungal species is appropriate. This is 100 times higher than the threshold recommended by ESG which appears to have no regulatory or guidance support.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some 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

Lee Hill

Senior FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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