Day 127 - 23 May 95 - Page 40
1 two. So there would have been somebody on site with that
2 information, but we certainly felt after this accident that
3 we needed to make sure that every shift manager knew
4 exactly what to do.
5
6 Q. Do the restaurants all have access to outside independent
7 electrical contractors?
8 A. They do, which is controlled by the facilities engineer
9 like Frank Frost, who makes sure they are properly
10 qualified.
11
12 Q. Then you write, "We aim to train all salaried managers in
13 first aid. We are approximately 50 per cent of the way in
14 meeting this objective." How far are you now as at 1995?
15 A. 80 to 90 per cent.
16
17 Q. "By law we are required to have at least one first aider on
18 shift at all times. We do not train floor managers in
19 first aid. There is an additional problem that if it is
20 the first aider who is seriously injured, who then gives
21 first aid?" Is there anything you have been able to do
22 about that?
23 A. Yes. Floor managers are now -- our shift running floor
24 managers are given full first aid training as part of that,
25 and also we are teaching a one day first aid course to
26 dining area staff, which means, of course, obviously they
27 are there with the customers so they are on hand should
28 there be an accident. But it also makes sure that there
29 are other people in the restaurants that can apply first
30 aid in the unusual circumstance that it is the first aider
31 that should be injured.
32
33 Q. What sort of people would they be?
34 A. The dining area hostesses.
35
36 Q. So then she would be on hand if a customer was injured?
37 A. Yes, that is right.
38
39 Q. What changes, if any, did you make in the actual training
40 of personnel about electricity?
41 A. Well, the route we decided to take was to restrict even
42 further the electrical work that they -- the equipment
43 works they could do. As we discussed previously, we had
44 already said that nobody could do any equipment maintenance
45 unless they had been on the advanced equipment course. But
46 at this stage we basically restricted any equipment work to
47 changing a 13 amp plug, but at the same time instituted a
48 programme of bringing in moulded plugs. So these days
49 there is very, very little need at all for managers to do
50 any electrical work whatsoever.
51
52 Q. I suppose you have a choice, do you not? You can either
53 choose to train many people fully with electricity, so that
54 whatever happens they are competent to deal with it, or
55 else you can give them little or no training and forbid
56 them to fiddle with the electrical equipment?
57 A. Yes. The way that all safety professionals would
58 approach this is to eliminate the risk if possible.
59
60 Q. How is that done?
