Day 127 - 23 May 95 - Page 20
1 closely monitor the trend, for example, with the slips and
2 falls that they are coming down because, obviously, in
3 putting a lot of investment into different types of floors,
4 it is useful to be able to have a feed back and say:
5 "Well, look, it really is having an impact here; we seem
6 to be seeing a trend downwards".
7
8 Q. You have mentioned particular accidents; do you mean a
9 single incident may have lessons to teach you?
10 A. Yes.
11
12 Q. We will come on to the business about Mark Hopkins later
13 on, but is that the kind of thing which you have in mind?
14 A. Yes. Certainly, we were able to learn a lot from that
15 accident and very tragic and upsetting it was.
16
17 MR. MORRIS: I do not know if it is appropriate for me to ask,
18 but I will have to leave at lunch. Is it possible that the
19 witness could be asked through you if they can deal with
20 the Mark Hopkins matter before lunch? That would be very
21 helpful. That is all I have to say.
22
23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can you accommodate Mr. Morris in that
24 respect?
25
26 MR. RAMPTON: Of course I can. I can start Mark Hopkins
27 immediately.
28
29 MR. JUSTICE BELL: In fact, it is not entirely inappropriate
30 because the last question you asked about is whether you
31 learned from particular incidents, so if you can assist in
32 that way, I would be grateful.
33
34 MR. RAMPTON: What, my Lord, I do not know is whether I can
35 finish it before lunch because there is quite a lot of
36 documentation.
37
38 (To the witness): Mrs. Barnes, could I ask you to get from
39 the shelves behind you a pink file or blue file with Roman
40 XIII on it; it should be called Employment, I think. Have
41 you got it there? My Lord, the reference is the first
42 tab 52 in that file. Mrs. Barnes, before I ask you to look
43 at any documents, can I ask you, and this is -----
44
45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Which colour did you say?
46
47 MR. RAMPTON: Pink XIII, my Lord. (To the witness): You
48 mentioned a moment ago, Mrs. Barnes, some new Electricity
49 Regulations which you said came in, I think, in 1990; is
50 that right?
51 A. That is correct.
52
53 Q. Is electricity a particular focus of attention so far as
54 you and your Department are concerned?
55 A. Yes, and it always has been, in that we realise it is
56 potentially fatal, although again it is one of those
57 accidents that mostly you will just come away with a buzz
58 in your arm or just a very slight shock, but it has the
59 potential for being fatal, so it is something we take very
60 seriously.
