Day 181 - 01 Nov 95 - Page 59
1 skip running. I saw people working rapidly. I believe
2 I saw an operation working even then near to its, if you
3 like, physical capacity, because these are not large areas
4 of work. You have to remember this. These are not
5 expansive kitchens. These are relatively small premises.
6
7 I am not claiming that I saw back of house at the time I
8 was there, people skip running. I just saw a system under
9 pressure with people moving rapidly between the various
10 functions, and in each case I was there in each restaurant
11 looking at the back of house, I was there for a matter of
12 minutes, two, three, minutes. That was the evident limit
13 of my observation period and I, frankly, do not think it
14 shows very much, but the front of house observations, of
15 course, there is very much more time to observe, (a)
16 because I was sitting front of house and I could see what
17 was going on, and (b) because I stood front of house and
18 (c) because I have been a customer. So, you know, I have
19 seen it with much more opportunity.
20
21 Q. The last question we have is regarding the RIDDOR accident
22 statistics which you have already stated your opinion about
23 the non-major injuries which are a feature of the catering
24 industry and should be taken seriously, you said. But, as
25 far as RIDDOR accidents, it says that there was in the
26 hotel and catering industry, according to this chart,
27 reported 252 per 100,000 employees major accidents. That
28 is on page 108 of that bulletin, which I must remember to
29 give back to Mr. Rampton. Yes?
30 A. Yes, I can see that.
31
32 Q. I believe McDonald's RIDDOR accidents are something around
33 400 a year, something like that?
34 A. Numerically.
35
36 Q. Numerically, for about 30,000 employees, that is
37 approximate, which would indicate something like four and a
38 half times ---
39
40 MR. RAMPTON: No, my Lord. This will not do.
41
42 MR. MORRIS: -- the rate of the -----
43
44 MR. RAMPTON: No, my Lord. I wish to make an interruption and
45 Mr. Morris should sit down while I do it. I offered the
46 witness an opportunity of judging these figures according
47 to the comparative reporting rates. If the witness is to
48 answer this question sensibly, he must know what McDonald's
49 reporting rate is as compared with that for the industry as
50 a whole.
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is fair enough to cross-examine on it, but
53 it seems to me that with these figures, now I have these
54 figures in front of me, from then on it is a matter of
55 argument. Mr. Rampton's point is valid to this extent,
56 that the argument when addressed to me will be on the basis
57 of all the relevant evidence and what I make of it, that
58 is, I will have to decide whether I accept the evidence on
59 this point, or that point and what conclusion I can draw.
60 I find it difficult to see at the moment how Mr. Pearson
