Day 086 - 09 Feb 95 - Page 88


     
     1        safety is concerned.  Your M & R account is no
     2        protection."  Do you see that?
     3        A.  I see that, yes.
     4
     5   Q.   So far as you are concerned, the position you hold within
     6        your company and your experience within it, is that
     7        statement true or false?
     8        A.  I think that statement is true.
     9
    10   MR. MORRIS:  That actually refers to the previous sentence about
    11        who is liable in case of an accident.
    12
    13   MR. RAMPTON:  I do not follow that I am afraid.  Let me read the
    14        next sentence, if I may, Mr. Atherton.  "Electricity kills
    15        and with 30,000 plus employees the odds of a fatal accident
    16        are high.  Please do not let one of your people be the
    17        first."  As it happens that is a tragic irony, that
    18        sentence, because not a month away, a bit more than a
    19        month, Mr. Hopkins was the first.  Ask I can ask you, so
    20        for as you are concerned do the sentiments which appear to
    21        underlie that paragraph represent the company's attitude on
    22        this question or not?
    23        A.  Yes, they do.
    24
    25   Q.   Finally on he topic of electricity, please turn over the
    26        page to 780. The accident Mr. Morris informed you, and
    27        there is no disagreement about is, was the day before this
    28        memorandum, 13th October 1992, and it is in fact signed by
    29        Mr. Paul Preston, the President and Chief Executive Officer
    30        of McDonald's UK.  I only want to ask you this.  It says
    31        "To all restaurant management".  Can you help us with what
    32        that phrase means "all restaurant management"?
    33        A.  It will go to every person who is in a management
    34        position within the restaurant.
    35
    36   Q.   Then we see at the bottom of the page a long list of other
    37        categories of person to whom this was copied?
    38        A.  Yes.
    39
    40   Q.   Finally, Mr. Atherton, please turn to page 862. It is in
    41        tab 55.
    42        A.  I have got it.
    43
    44   Q.   It is the document which is the report which was produced
    45        by the Accident Prevention Advisory Unit, do you remember?
    46        A.  Yes, I remember it.
    47
    48   Q.   In paragraph 5.3 in the middle of hat page we find this:
    49        "However, there was no clear direction as to the means by
    50        which further improvements were to be achieved.  This may 
    51        be due to the absence of a mission statement containing a 
    52        commitment towards health and safety."  We know that this 
    53        document appeared in August 1992 because it says so and
    54        that it seems to have been based on work done between
    55        December 1991 and April 1992.  Remembering that reference
    56        to the absence of a mission statement I would like you to
    57        look at another document on page 737 which is in tab 52.
    58        A.  I have got it.
    59
    60   Q.   My Lord, it is a sideways document headed "McDonald's

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