Day 085 - 08 Feb 95 - Page 58
1 Q. "In addition an abbreviated calibration check list will be
2 drawn up for use on a daily basis. This daily check list
3 will include the verification of all fryer temperatures,
4 all grill and fryer timers, the probe temperatures for all
5 grills and all temperatures relating to walk-in chillers
6 and freezers, grill-side freezers and filet, pie and
7 chicken freezers. Whilst this daily check list is being
8 drawn up you are to use the weekly calibration check list
9 completing the sections outlined above."
10
11 So up until this time daily calibration checks, in fact
12 I think you said that already anyway, that daily
13 calibration checks were not in place at that time?
14 A. Calibration checks were done daily according to the
15 preventative maintenance calendar.
16
17 Q. They were at that time?
18 A. Yes, we were doing daily calibration checks.
19
20 Q. So Mr. Haag, is it?
21 A. "Hague" is the pronunciation.
22
23 Q. He is just creating extra paper work really?
24 A. Yes, he is revising the paper work. I think at that
25 time one of our concerns was documentation to say we have a
26 system that we use, but we just would not document in it
27 correctly. The piece of paper we had was the calibration
28 check list which was used as an aid to fill the PMC in, and
29 in his opinion, looking at the situation at that time, we
30 needed something else to cover off the other areas. We
31 were concerned that we could prove that we were taking food
32 safety seriously and that we had documentary evidence to
33 support that.
34
35 Q. So prior to that time nobody had to prove they were
36 carrying out these checks?
37 A. We had on the calendar, the planned maintenance
38 calendar, I do not know where this came from but just
39 reviewing that presumably it was implied that that was not
40 enough. I think, from my knowledge of it, it said that the
41 task had been done, so I would put, "John Atherton says
42 that I calibrated the grills", whereas in the calibration
43 check list I would write the temperature of the grills when
44 I checked it and if an environmental health officer came
45 into the store and looked at the calendar and said, "Well,
46 you said you could just fill that in", I then had another
47 document which said, "Well, I checked it at this time of
48 the day and these are the temperatures that I checked", so
49 we had that documentary proof.
50
51 Q. Do you know whether that was something that environmental
52 health recommended in the light of Preston?
53 A. I do not know in the light of Preston, but as I got
54 involved in this new job and worked through operations
55 development and we got environmental health officers for
56 advice and to verify assistance, this documentation is
57 something they suggested we should do more of and make sure
58 we can prove that we have done as we say because it would
59 help us in court cases, if ever there should be one, or it
60 would also help them in their investigations. If they came
