Day 085 - 08 Feb 95 - Page 22
1 far as I can remember, as far as back in my Operations
2 experience as I can remember, but certainly within the
3 company we had a raising of awareness that we should not be
4 running, moving quickly, on the front counter. We should,
5 you know, enforce that. So at one moment in time we had
6 this "let us understand correctly what we mean by this".
7
8 MR. MORRIS: So there were concerns that the speed and
9 efficiency aspects were overriding the safety aspects in
10 some places?
11 A. Yes, I think that in looking at health and safety in
12 the restaurants we identified that may be the movement on
13 the front counter could contribute to more accidents, so we
14 just highlighted that as an area to emphasise.
15
16 Q. If we go to 871, Recommendation 22, do you want to have a
17 quick read of that?
18 A. I have read that through.
19
20 Q. The preventing risks as the ultimate aim and looking at
21 non-injury incidents, identifying basic causes, what do you
22 feel are the basic risks that give you most cause for
23 concern as a person responsible for health and safety at
24 McDonald's in store? What are the weak areas that you feel
25 "this is something we have really got to work on"?
26 A. I think, as I explained yesterday, we take our view on
27 risk with the risk assessment on the restaurants but,
28 really, on those statistics the accidents that are most
29 serious we take as the areas that we should concentrate on.
30
31 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, I think you are being asked a broader
32 question than that. Perhaps it would have been better to
33 ask you, first of all, whether there are health and safety
34 areas in the restaurants which do cause you concern.
35 A. OK. Well, there are certain areas that, tasks, you
36 know, could result in injury so, you know, operating a
37 grill could result in a burn; whereas operating a till is
38 less risky. Operating a compactor machine could result in
39 an accident. So, that is obviously a priority, so that is
40 a risk area that we identify, and lift safety as well. So,
41 there are a number of potentially hazardous tasks that have
42 to be performed within the store and that is where the
43 training is concentrated upon.
44
45 MR. MORRIS: But, apart from training, what about in design of
46 the restaurant? Is that something which ---
47 A. Yes.
48
49 Q. -- you feel there is concern about certain aspects of the
50 present or the design problems that you have had over the
51 last 10 years, or something like that?
52 A. Not sure about the design problems that we have had,
53 but health and safety considerations are taken into account
54 within the design of our restaurant. Health and safety
55 input is put into any refinement in the designs that we
56 have or any changes in the operations.
57
58 Q. So, you do reports for board meetings, is that correct, on
59 health and safety, amongst other things?
60 A. In my current position, I have been in the position for
