Day 084 - 07 Feb 95 - Page 32
1
2 MR. RAMPTON: That is unsatisfactory.
3
4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, have at least one between you. Can
5 Mr. Atkinson part with his for the moment?
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7 MR. RAMPTON: He has not got one; that is the trouble.
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9 MR. MORRIS: It does not matter.
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11 MR. RAMPTON: Shall I read out the numbers, my Lord? In this
12 way it will go on Ms. Steel's screen. I will read out the
13 document verbatim. That is the best thing to do. It is
14 headed "RIDDOR Accidents 1991".
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16 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can you say what RIDDOR is? I have forgotten
17 if it was said before. Do you know what they are?
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19 THE WITNESS: I cannot think of the meaning of the acronym now.
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21 MR. RAMPTON: We will get it from Mrs. Barnes, my Lord. It is
22 derived from -----
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24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If you are in charge of training, it is
25 inevitable that you will get asked a lot of questions you
26 cannot remember the answer to. It is just one of those
27 laws of life. But, anyway, you can find that out from
28 someone else.
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30 MR. RAMPTON: Yes, certainly we can. (To the witness): It is
31 an obligation derived from Statute ultimately, is it not?
32 A. Yes, it is something to do with it is reportable
33 accidents or incidents that are in there that we legally
34 have to report.
35
36 Q. I do not know what the acronym is either.
37 A. I think it is just so often used that people forget
38 what it actually stands for. It has almost become a word
39 in its own right.
40
41 Q. It says RIDDOR Accidents 1991 to 1993. Below that there is
42 a table. On top of the table we find these words: "Annual
43 equivalent total numbers" and then three columns, 1991,
44 1992 and 1993. Under 1991 we find a figure 335; under
45 1992, 344 and under 1993, 400. Beneath that there is a
46 chart which is calibrated in 10s from 300 to 400 and there
47 is a horizontal block graph which reflects the figures
48 given in the columns above the table. That is right, is it
49 not?
50 A. That is correct.
51
52 Q. We see, therefore, that from between 1992 and the end of
53 1993 there was an increase of something like 66 over
54 previous years; is that right?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. The increase in 1992 over 1991 was nine, right?
58 A. Correct.
59
60 Q. Can you offer an explanation why it was that the increase
