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Code 1 means blood…and 6 other secret codes London Underground workers use that you aren’t supposed to know

If you've ever been on an Underground train in the capitol, you'll have probably heard the coded announcements staff give each other over the tannoy

LONDON can feel like a different world sometimes, so it shouldn't be surprising that Tube staff in the capital have their own secret language.

If you've ever been on an Underground train in the capital, you'll have probably heard the coded announcements staff give each other over the tannoy.

 Ever wondered what staff are going on about with their coded messages in Underground stations?
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Ever wondered what staff are going on about with their coded messages in Underground stations?Credit: Alamy

But you may not know how to tell your Code 1s from your Code 5s, since few passengers have any idea what the numbered messages are going on about.

Most of the time, the announcements aren't anything sinister - in fact, they all refer to different types of cleaning jobs in the station.

The London Underground network is big and busy, so it helps for staff to have a way to communicate about spillages and incidents quickly and clearly.

Besides, it wouldn't go down well if passengers had to listen to all the disgusting details of what's made a mess over on platform 3.

Most Tube stations will make use of a numbered system from 1-7, with each number describing a different cleaning job.

They range from bio-hazardous blood on the floor (Code 1) to run-of-the-mill sweeping jobs when someone's dropped a load of litter in a station (Code 6).

 Codes 1-7 all refer to different types of cleaning jobs, and serve as a way to always keeping staff in the loop
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Codes 1-7 all refer to different types of cleaning jobs, and serve as a way to always keeping staff in the loopCredit: Getty - Contributor

Meanwhile, a Code 2 is for a job involving urine or faeces, while Code 3 means someone's been sick somewhere.

Code 4 is for a spillage and Code 5 is broken glass, while Code 7 is a catch-all term for everything else.

What those Tube cleaning codes really mean

Code 1 - Blood

Code 2 - Urine/Faeces

Code 3 - Vomit

Code 4 - Spillage

Code 5 - Broken Glass

Code 6 - Litter

Code 7 - Anything else

These codes are regularly used all over the tube network, and now you know what staff are going on about when there's an announcement about them.

You'll also know to steer well clear of any platform where there's been a Code 2...

 The Tube codes are used in stations all over the London Underground network
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The Tube codes are used in stations all over the London Underground networkCredit: Getty - Contributor

These aren't the only code phrases you're likely to hear in Tube stations.

Previously, we revealed the secret emergency phrase to listen out for next time you get the train.

And we also revealed the hilarious hand signals used by flight attendants to chat about dinner without shouting across the plane.

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