Day 132 - 07 Jun 95 - Page 32
1
2 Q. So you are not really responding, are you, to the criticism
3 which is that expense can mean that things are not fixed?
4 A. I think I am responding to the criticism. As far as
5 I am concerned, the culture in McDonald's is not to say:
6 "We are not spending on health and safety; we are trying
7 to save money". That is not the culture at McDonald's and
8 I am making that point.
9
10 Q. In the next paragraph, paragraph 4 -- just going back to
11 that previous one, you would be concerned, though, if
12 nothing was done to fix something because of expense?
13 A. Of course I would be concerned, yes.
14
15 Q. You did not express that concern though in your statement?
16 A. That is because I said I do not believe that to be the
17 condition.
18
19 Q. No, you said that money would not be denied. You did not
20 say that you would be concerned if that was the case.
21
22 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You do not need to include everything, do
23 you? Rightly or wrongly, he was asked to deal with
24 particular statements. It seems a bit unfair to put to
25 Mr. Purslow that he did not mention something which might
26 be fairly obvious anyway.
27
28 MR. MORRIS: Paragraph 5 at the bottom of that page, comment is
29 made about a girl slipping on a wet floor and burning her
30 arm on the grill. You do not know, you say, why the
31 statement goes on to say that she was sent to hospital
32 "with some reluctancy"?
33 A. Yes.
34
35 Q. Would you be concerned if there was some reluctance to call
36 an ambulance or send them to hospital?
37 A. Yes, indeed -- if, in actual fact, it was necessary,
38 I have to say.
39
40 Q. In grey areas of uncertainty, is it better to err on the
41 side of caution and safety of the employee?
42 A. What grey areas are we talking about?
43
44 Q. If there is a grey area of not being sure whether an
45 ambulance should be called or -----
46
47 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You had better separate the ambulance because
48 it is not in the public interest to call ambulances unless
49 they are absolutely necessary because someone may be in far
50 more dire straits than you are at the same time. But if
51 you did not know whether an injury ought to receive medical
52 attention or not, the only safe thing to do would be for
53 someone to get in their car and take the person to the
54 nearest Accident and Emergency Department?
55 A. Absolutely, my Lord, and one would err on the side of
56 caution in that sense but, as you rightly say, you would
57 not necessarily call an ambulance.
58
59 MR. MORRIS: On page 13 at the top: "It is further stated that
60 for six Saturdays on the trot the toaster was giving people
