Day 084 - 07 Feb 95 - Page 46


     
     1
     2   Q.   So when did you consider an accident worthy of getting on
     3        to an incident report form above the cut finger level?
     4        When does it start becoming?
     5        A.  Say a crew member fell over and banged himself --
     6        I remember myself I trapped my finger in the safe once
     7        (this is a good example) and got a nasty trapped thumb,
     8        that need not have been reported anywhere else but
     9        I reported it on an incident report form.
    10
    11   Q.   That was your policy as a manager, was it?
    12        A.  Yes.  It is discretionary, that they area, it is just
    13        that it may help sometime in the future. Again, it is being
    14        proactive about it.  It is not our policy to do that, but
    15        in practice this is what happens.
    16
    17   Q.   I am trying to find out what the company policy is.  You
    18        are in charge of that department and you are saying
    19        you -----
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  First ask if there is a company policy,
    22        because he said on more than one occasion that it is up to
    23        the discretion of manager.  If it is a RIDDOR accident the
    24        procedure, as I understand it, is that there is also a
    25        company incident report form which goes to head office?
    26        A.  I will try to explain yet again what is company policy
    27        and what happens occasionally in practice.  Any accident to
    28        a crew member howsoever minor will be reported in the store
    29        accident book, the blue book in the restaurant.  Any
    30        accident to a crew member that is covered under RIDDOR, is
    31        a reportable accident under RIDDOR, will go on an incident
    32        report form or be sent off to various customer services and
    33        the environmental health officer.  If an incident happens
    34        in the store that is maybe more serious than a slight cut
    35        and less serious than RIDDOR, then it will be the manager's
    36        discretion whether that is worthy of reporting.
    37
    38   MR. MORRIS:  Does the company have any policy or guidance for
    39        managers at what level it expects the management to fill an
    40        incident report form or is it entirely at the discretion of
    41        the manager up to the level of RIDDOR?
    42        A.  Well, just by the definition of an incident and what is
    43        an incident within the restaurant, we encourage people if
    44        they have any doubts about the matter to fill an incident
    45        report form in and record it and have it logged down as
    46        something happened.  That is just the way that people are
    47        trained.
    48
    49   Q.   So for every serious RIDDOR reported accident there will be
    50        how many not reportable accidents, 100? 
    51        A.  I just could not speculate on that figure at all. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Obviously RIDDOR are the tip of the iceberg, are they not?
    54        A.  I think it would be fair to say people will cut their
    55        finger a little bit more frequently than they would break
    56        their leg in McDonald's.
    57
    58   Q.   Yes, but you have been a manager and you know how many less
    59        serious accidents get put in the accident book over the
    60        year?

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