Day 130 - 26 May 95 - Page 21


     
     1
     2   MR. RAMPTON:  Perhaps Mr. Morris should listen to that answer.
     3        It is quite an important answer.
     4
     5   MR. MORRIS:  Our case will be that Robert Chapman -----
     6
     7   MR. RAMPTON:  I intervene to  invite Mr. Morris to listen to the
     8        last answer.  He may not wish to proceed with this any
     9        further, if he should look at it.
    10
    11   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, the point I am putting is an additional point,
    12        that the plug could quite possibly, or probably, would have
    13        been wired, or, rewired, perfectly adequately, but been
    14        tugged loose, as it had been previously, when Mr. Chapman
    15        had had to change -----
    16
    17   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do not answer that question because I do not
    18        think you can know the answer.  Let us see what the
    19        evidence is at the end of the day, and whether it really
    20        makes a different to the thrust of your point with regard
    21        to Mark Hopkins.  I have taken the point that it is in
    22        issue whether it was rewired properly or not, or whether
    23        something happened, tugging or whatever else, which
    24        rendered it in a dangerous condition.
    25
    26   MS. STEEL:  Can I just ask about the following paragraph:  "AEC
    27        training on plug wiring does not cover all the areas that
    28        contributed to this accident, i.e. length of wires,
    29        stripping of wires, securing so that the earth comes free
    30        last, securing cable clamp around cable not wires".  What
    31        exactly does the AEC training on plug wiring cover?
    32        A.  I cannot remember exactly what it covered then, but it
    33        did cover wiring a plug, in terms of which colour goes
    34        where, but, for example, particularly that part about
    35        securing the earth so it is longest so it would come free
    36        last, is not something we taught at the time, but has been
    37        included in the revised package since.
    38
    39   Q.   So, basically, at that time training on plug wiring was
    40        just which colour to which pin?
    41        A.  I cannot remember now exactly what was taught, but
    42        certainly that particular one about the earth coming free
    43        last was something we felt was very important, that we
    44        recognised we had not included.  Obviously, this page goes
    45        just about everything I could think of at the time where we
    46        should look to approve.  I hope you appreciate, in looking
    47        at that, I was as picky as I possibly could be.  We were
    48        not trying to hide anything.
    49
    50        We were not perfect.  We made lots changes afterwards, but 
    51        I still cannot guarantee to you there will never be an 
    52        electric shock in McDonald's, just as I cannot guarantee 
    53        there will never be an electric shock in my home or anybody
    54        else's home.  As long as there is electrical equipment, it
    55        could happen.
    56
    57   MR. MORRIS:  The third full paragraph from the bottom said that
    58        Bellec ^ had offered to carry out the repairs that they
    59        felt were needed in September 1992.  That relates to what
    60        we said before about management being brave in asking for,

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