Safety Notice: Subway Air Quality Health Canada Study

You may have seen or heard media reports on a Health Canada study that was released
today examining air quality and pollution in our subway system. This study is based on
research done in 2010 and 2011 and was designed to measure airborne dust as a function of
particle size. It did not draw any conclusions about the impact of that air on health. The
analysis confirmed that the dust is primarily iron from the steel rail and wheels. Previous
TTC subway air quality studies have already reviewed occupational exposures to the
individual components found in this dust and concluded that it does not present a significant
health risk.

I want to reassure all of our employees, especially those of you working in the underground
parts of the system, the TTC remains fully committed to your health and safety.

In fact, its because of this that we agreed to work with Health Canada on this research when
they approached us about it. The information we now have will be incredibly valuable in
establishing a baseline against which we can measure the impact of the numerous steps we
have already taken.

Things we are already doing include the purchase of a new track vacuum car outfitted with a
gold-standard high efficiency particulate air filtration system, a corridor cleaning program,
station/tunnel washing and the T1 air duct cleaning program. We have also improved air
filtration on the new TR trains.

Further, with the research now in hand, we will move quickly to undertake a new subway air
quality study. The Safety & Environment Department has been in discussions with several
work groups to start that study in the coming months and will work with affected Joint Health
and Safety Committees.

For further information, please see the attached Frequently Asked Questions.

The TTC remains a safe system for our customers and employees.

If you have any questions, please contact me at 416-393-4229.

John OGrady
Chief Safety Officer
Safety & Environment Department

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Safety Notice#17-7
April 25, 2017

Remove by May 25, 2017