A London Underground worker who was unfairly dismissed after whistleblowing over his concerns about asbestos exposure has said that all tube users should be aware of the risks.
Micky Steeds began working for the London Underground in 2018, cleaning up vents, lift shafts and inverts across the network.
The job would often leave him covered in a thick layer of grime and dust - which he discovered could contain dangerous levels of asbestos and other substances including chromium, arsenic, silicates and iron oxide.
After raising his concerns, Mr Steeds was told to either return to work, in what he considered dangerous conditions, or be sacked.
Mr Steeds was sacked in August 2023 after being signed off work with anxiety, but won a judge-led employment tribunal in May this year.
The panel found that he was unfairly dismissed from his job, and that it was “genuine and reasonable” that he believed he and colleagues were being put in danger.
The tribunal heard that, for 15 months, Mr Steeds was not fitted with a proper protective face mask, sometimes using paper masks which became blackened with dust after use.
While he was given training on how to deal with asbestos, this only came after he had been cleaning asbestos-sheathed cables for 19 months.
London Underground managers rejected his complaints, insisting that the work was safe and that cleaning practices did not disturb the asbestos.
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