Day 129 - 25 May 95 - Page 16


     
     1        decision.  He would have been involved in putting together
     2        the action plan afterwards, so that might have involved
     3        sending out a memo to stores.
     4
     5   Q.   Right.  Why is the kitchen kept clear during filtering?
     6        A.  Well, the idea is that when somebody is carrying out
     7        filtering that as few people as possible should pass that
     8        site.
     9
    10   Q.   Sorry, that is not a hard and fast thing; it is just trying
    11        to have as few people in the area as possible?
    12        A.  Well, what we advise them to do is to do it when it is
    13        a quiet time; if they can, either do it when the restaurant
    14        is closed or if they have closed down half of the kitchen
    15        do the filtering in the half that is not being used.
    16
    17   Q.   Is there a particular reason for that?
    18        A.  Well, it is just a precautionary measure.  We have --
    19        I can remember very, very few accidents with filtering
    20        because we do train people specifically on it, because
    21        obviously handling hot shortening, potentially, there is
    22        quite a high hazard there and, therefore, we make sure that
    23        we give extra training, we provide protective equipment and
    24        give extra advice, so that we minimise the risk both to the
    25        person who is doing the filtering and anybody else who is
    26        there.
    27
    28   Q.   Right.  So it is basically because it is a particularly
    29        dangerous task of the ones that are to be done?
    30        A.  Well, it potentially is, it could be if it is not done
    31        properly.
    32
    33   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Could you just pause there because I am not
    34        sure I understand why it could be dangerous; does it have
    35        to be done while the fat is hot?
    36        A.  Yes, it does.  It has to be done while the fat is
    37        liquid.  One of the things we are working on at the moment
    38        is a liquid shortening, that we could use a liquid fat.
    39        Now, that would mean that -----
    40
    41   Q.   But it cannot just be sustained at a temperature which is
    42        sufficient to keep it liquid but not hot enough to burn?
    43        A.  No, the temperature at the moment would still be,
    44        I think it is, about 300 degrees which is still, obviously,
    45        hot enough to burn, if not hot enough to cook.  That is
    46        around about the minimum temperature that you would need to
    47        get it through the machine, otherwise the machine clogs up
    48        and then you could have even greater danger.
    49
    50   MS. STEEL:  I think, is it right, the advice is to heat the oil 
    51        to cooking temperature and then switch the machine off; is 
    52        that right? 
    53        A.  I cannot remember, to be honest.  I mean, normally,
    54        what would happen with filtering is that if it is done at
    55        night, which is a normal process, that obviously they would
    56        switch it off after business and it would already be at
    57        cooking temperature.
    58
    59   Q.   Can I just ask a question about travel paths?  Are they
    60        carried out by someone in a position -- is it floor control

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