TfL pays over £7m after tribunal finds cleaner unfairly dismissed over asbestos concerns

The employment tribunal hearing, reported by the Guardian, concluded that Micky Steeds, a former London Underground cleaner, was unfairly dismissed after he raised concerns about asbestos exposure. The tribunal’s decision obliges TfL to reconsider its handling of protective equipment for staff working on the tube network.

Extent of asbestos on the network

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Freedom‑of‑information data, cited by the Guardian, show TfL has identified more than 20,000 items that contain asbestos across its Underground infrastructure. The material is present in cable sheathing, vent ducts and other civil‑engineered components that cleaners regularly disturb.

Emails and meeting minutes obtained by the newspaper reveal that managers admitted face‑fitted respiratory masks were not supplied to cleaning crews until as late as 2020, despite regulations introduced in 2002 that require such protection.

"Over the years, TfL must have put the health of hundreds of workers at risk by failing in their legal duty to provide fitted masks,"

Micky Steeds, former cleaner

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Legal and financial repercussions

TfL has already paid out more than £7 million in asbestos‑related compensation and legal fees, the Guardian reports. The figure includes settlements for workers who have developed health conditions linked to asbestos exposure.

Catriona Ratcliffe, a solicitor at LeighDay, confirmed a six‑figure settlement was secured earlier this year for a former inspector diagnosed with mesothelioma after supervising asbestos removal on the Northern Line. She warned that continued exposure, even at low levels, could generate further claims if employers are found to have ignored known risks.

What the tribunal found

The tribunal heard that Steeds worked without a properly fitted mask for 15 months. A manager’s 2020 comment, quoted in the Guardian, admitted that many staff “aren’t face‑fitted” and that “staff shouldn’t have worked without face fit, but it has happened.” The tribunal judged that the dismissal of Steeds for raising these issues breached employment law.

Rob Donnan, another former cleaner, told the newspaper he worked without a fitted mask for three years and estimated that up to 80 cleaners in the vents department and 300 in the escalator department were similarly unprotected between 2002 and 2020.

TfL’s response and next steps

A TfL spokesperson said the organisation has “strict controls in place, in line with the government’s control of asbestos regulations,” and that specialist teams monitor locations where asbestos is found. The spokesperson added that TfL is appealing the tribunal ruling and therefore could not comment further on the case.

The Guardian notes that TfL’s internal testing in December 2022 showed dust levels below workplace exposure limits, but staff who cleaned the material reported that testing was not carried out while asbestos was being disturbed. The discrepancy highlights a gap between reported compliance and on‑the‑ground practice.

Workers who believe they have been exposed without adequate protection are advised to seek legal advice and may submit claims through the Employment Tribunal or personal injury routes. TfL has indicated it will review mask provision and dust‑sampling procedures as part of its appeal process.