Day 132 - 07 Jun 95 - Page 48
1 necessary. Frank must have felt that, to put it in common
2 parlance, somebody got a belter off a piece of equipment
3 and not reported it and so obviously you would take
4 immediate action which I -----
5
6 Q. He used the word "severe"?
7 A. Well, as I say, I do not know what he means by that.
8 If you take -- if you get a belt of electricity at mains
9 voltage, it is always severe. Sometimes you are very
10 lucky, sometimes nothing happens, or whatever. In fact,
11 I would say, probably 90 per cent of the time nothing
12 happens. But, nevertheless, he obviously felt that the
13 situation needed further reinforcing and I would obviously
14 endorse that and go along with it.
15
16 Q. So in terms of a severe electric shock potentially it can
17 be fatal?
18 A. Of course it can be; that is why Frank had taken the
19 issue. We all know, sadly, that it can be. I mean, if you
20 look at the industry at large, there are very few fatal
21 electrocutions in terms of mains voltage in the sort of
22 premises we are talking about. Obviously one is too many
23 and, obviously, Frank thought action be taken which is
24 appropriate.
25
26 Q. No further questions.
27 ^
28 Re-examined by MR. RAMPTON, Q.C.
29
30 Q. Just one matter, Mr. Purslow, arising out of that most
31 recent sequence of questions, can I ask you to find pink
32 file XIII Employment, please, and turn please to the first
33 tab which is tab 52. I can tell you that, so far as we are
34 aware, this is to be found (which I do not ask you to look
35 at) in tab 57-S, the Harbourn accident which took place on
36 25th July 1992. Could you, please, turn first in tab 52,
37 if I can find it, to page 779?
38 A. Yes.
39
40 Q. This is a memorandum dated 7th September 1992?
41 A. Yes.
42
43 Q. It comes from Keith Smith who, we are told, is a corporate
44 person, he is not a regional person, is that right, so far
45 as you know?
46 A. As far as I am aware, yes.
47
48 Q. I remind you, if you need reminding, that the accident to
49 Mark Hopkins took place on 12th October 1992, that is to
50 say, just over a month after this memorandum?
51 A. Yes.
52
53 Q. Do you remember whether you were shown a copy of this
54 memorandum at the time?
55 A. I do not, Mr. Rampton, I am sorry.
56
57 Q. Can you look, please, at the third para. of this
58 memorandum?
59 A. Yes.
60
