Day 132 - 07 Jun 95 - Page 21
1 me that is a misuse of the concept. I am sure McDonald's
2 would not claim to be perfect in every degree.
3
4 MR. MORRIS: If we move on to another issue, whatever file you
5 have there you can put away. We have not actually had our
6 five-minute break.
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, you can have it now if you want.
9
10 (Short Adjournment)
11
12 MR. MORRIS: In your concern about safety of McDonald's
13 employees, have you looked into the issue of
14 under-staffing?
15 A. I am not aware that it is an issue.
16
17 Q. Have you looked into whether it is an issue?
18 A. No, I would not. There would be -- I would not be
19 called upon to do so unless there was a particular
20 problem. I am not aware of there being a problem.
21
22 Q. The Company has never asked you whether under-staffing is
23 relevant to health and safety?
24 A. There would be no reason for them to do so.
25
26 Q. You have never asked them if they wanted you to give them
27 advice about that subject?
28 A. Forgive me. As a consultant, you do not walk around
29 saying: "Would you like me to give you advice on this,
30 that and the other?" Obviously, you respond within the
31 brief you are given. I mean, the issue of staffing is,
32 essentially, a production and an operations one. The
33 McDonald's people are far more competent than I to comment
34 on the staffing needs of a restaurant.
35
36 Q. I want to look at your statement, please, Mr. Purslow. It
37 is in that yellow file.
38
39 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Tab 40, Mr. Purslow.
40
41 MR. MORRIS: If we go to page 3, some of the matters I will ask
42 you about are not specifically commented on but it is
43 raised by what you said. What is the average number of
44 Environmental Health Officers that each local authority
45 employs?
46 A. Oh, I would not be able to say that. It depends on the
47 size of the authority and the number of premises and all
48 sorts of different things.
49
50 Q. You were employed as an Environmental Health Officer?
51 A. I was indeed, yes.
52
53 Q. When was that?
54 A. Well, I qualified when I was employed at Birmingham
55 initially. I worked for a small black country authority
56 called Rowley Regis which no longer exists. I then worked
57 for Dudley County Borough -- I am sorry, for Warley County
58 Borough and lately for Dudley County Borough.
59
60 Q. That should be give us quite a good spread, really.
