The escalator refurb at Kilburn Park is finished now. While it was underway, late-turn CSAs had to work next to an active construction site, with work beginning well before the station closed each night.
The noise was phenomenally loud. Unlike the SSs, the CSAs don't have a walled-off office to sit in (the GLAP is hardly soundproof, and besides, they're needed on the gateline!), and unlike the L&E engineers, they don't have protective equipment.
Tubeworker doesn't like that major construction work is happening on stations during traffic hours. Despite opposition from union health and safety reps, the company says it's prepared to take on the risks posed by doing refurbs and other construction while stations are open.
As well as LU's in-house L&E engineers working on the job, there were also contractors from private companies. We suggest that if refurbishment and construction work was taken back in house, the company might be able to plan better and ensure major works didn't take place while stations were open.
