Day 131 - 06 Jun 95 - Page 68


     
     1        in the same period of time so that may lead to corner
     2        cutting, scraping your hands on it, or any other problems?
     3        A.  The equipment is designed to take a set number of
     4        burgers and a set number of burgers are cooked at one time
     5        and the procedures are made so that they are turned over at
     6        a particular stage.
     7
     8   Q.   Yes, but the variable is, is it not, Mr. Purslow, the
     9        amount of staffing and how much time they have to do how
    10        much work they have to do?
    11        A.  Not when you are cooking burgers, because what will
    12        happen, if you are cutting down on staff or there is not
    13        enough staff, is that you have got to close up one of your
    14        stations, and you cannot serve as many people in the same
    15        time.  It is as simple as that.  You end up with a queue
    16        out of the door.  That is why they try to keep the staffing
    17        levels at their recommended levels.  They are world expert
    18        at staffing these places; they know what they are about.
    19
    20   Q.   So if McDonald's are not closing up stations when a staff
    21        member would otherwise be under pressure because he or she
    22        has to do too much in one go, then they would be creating
    23        an unsafe job ---
    24        A.  No, I am sorry.
    25
    26   Q.   -- for that person that is doing too much?
    27        A.  No, I am sorry you cannot say that; you cannot be as
    28        broad as that, because you still have to say that speeding
    29        up on a particular job is making it inherently dangerous
    30        and it is not in most cases.  In any case, even if the
    31        staffing is slow, what happens is that they do not achieve
    32        their target time of serving customers and the customers go
    33        away.  Their whole point is to serve people quickly and
    34        effectively.
    35
    36   Q.   The reality is, Mr. Purslow, that you do not want to say
    37        anything that is critical of McDonald's because you are
    38        making quite a lot of money out of them and you are happy
    39        to carry on doing that indefinitely?
    40        A.  Rubbish, Mr. Morris.  The reality is you have asked me
    41        my professional advice, I have given it and you do not want
    42        to accept it; that is your prerogative.
    43
    44   Q.   Yes, but what professional advice have you given McDonald's
    45        that is critical of their procedures and unsafe practices
    46        that affect their staff?
    47        A.  As with other organisations, I am proud of the
    48        contribution that I have made not only to McDonald's but to
    49        a number of other organisations.  I see safety as an
    50        evolving practice.  You do not go in and decimate a company 
    51        and say:  "This, that and the other is rubbish" and so on 
    52        and so forth.  That is not the way you do it.  You change 
    53        it by evolution not by revolution.  One gradually builds up
    54        the standards.  To imply that I am altering my advice and
    55        professionally compromising my standards because I am paid
    56        I find, I have to say, an insult.
    57
    58   Q.   How does "hustle" as criticised by the Health and Safety
    59        Executive Report, if I can try to find the magic words:
    60        "It provides a good illustration of the culture in the

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