The cleanliness of the messroom inside the portable cabin at Rainham was affecting staff wellbeing, a reporter said.

Arriva London buses

Arriva London buses at a garage. © Yau Ming Low/Shutterstock 

Reporter's concern

  • The general cleanliness of the messroom at Rainham (inside the portable cabin) is affecting staff wellbeing and their ability to relax or eat during breaks. Bin bags with rubbish inside are removed from the bin but the bags left in the messroom. The reporter believes someone else collects these but it can take up to two hours and in this time the smell spreads and attracts flies.
  • The cabin is experiencing vermin despite efforts to cull them (rat baits).
  • The running water in this messroom isn’t safe to drink or clean cutlery. Arriva provided bottles of water, but there is no refrigerator to store them. This also means staff can’t keep food there.

They wanted Arriva London to refurbish the room so there is drinking water and a refrigerator, and to review the process for how rubbish is removed.

Arriva London's response

  • We welcome the opportunity to investigate and address the issue and to ensure that any investigation and subsequent actions are applied.
  • We have reviewed the facilities available in the rest room to address the issues raised. We had already identified that the room needed a refrigerator, and this has been provided to keep the water and food cool.
  • We had previously looked at other options for providing running water in the rest facilities. We have not found a suitable alternative but continue to make enquiries. Once we find a suitable alternative site, we would like to make the change as quickly as possible.
  • We have reviewed the cleaning standards with our third-party contractors to ensure an appropriate level of cleanliness. Local management will conduct a regular review.
  • The bin bags will be removed when bins are changed. 
  • We will continue to work with our facilities department to further address issues of vermin.
  • Due to the age of the portable cabin, this is being replaced within the next few weeks.

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