Day 127 - 23 May 95 - Page 62


     
     1        A.  It is certainly a new system, but it is really bringing
     2        together what was in place already, but giving ownership to
     3        operations as opposed to getting outside people involved.
     4
     5   Q.   Was this in any sense prompted by the HSE examination of
     6        McDonald's operations?
     7        A.  Well, it was discussed with Andrew Foster, the format
     8        of it, Andrew Foster from the HSE, but it is something that
     9        I had already started on by the December early January when
    10        Andrew started doing his interviews.
    11
    12   Q.   You say in the second paragraph: "We experience less than
    13        one notifiable accident per store per year."  We will look
    14        at the statistics in a moment but, if my arithmetic is
    15        right, then what you say there is correct.  "So carrying
    16        out this investigation will not be a great on the
    17        supervisors' or store managers' time.  A commitment to
    18        formally investigate accidents will help us better identify
    19        exactly why accidents happen, and will help in
    20        demonstrating responsible attitudes, attitudes to EHOs."
    21
    22        Never mind the last part of that sentence, Mrs. Barnes, has
    23        it, in fact, turned out that he formal investigation of
    24        accidents by the Company has helped you better identify why
    25        accidents happen?
    26        A.  It certainly meant we have the got the information
    27        together a lot quicker and we have had more facts there
    28        when we felt we needed to take decisions on changing
    29        procedures.  It obviously cannot compare with what would
    30        have happened if we had not investigated.
    31
    32   Q.   Then you say underlined: "Attached are full instructions
    33        for completeing the investigation."  Bottom of the page in
    34        capital letters: "WHEN YOU REPORT AN ACCIDENT TO THE
    35        REGIONAL PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT YOU WILL BE REMINDED THAT A
    36        FORMAL INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT."   Are you
    37        satisfied that happens in practice?
    38        A.  At the time this was written certainly the personnel
    39        people would follow up.  Now my people follow up and one of
    40        the things they monitor regionally is how quickly the
    41        stores are getting the investigation forms back and they
    42        will alert senior operations if they are not getting the
    43        investigations back.
    44
    45   Q.   Then on the next page, Mrs. Barnes, the objective of
    46        accident investigation: "The aim of investigation is not to
    47        apportion blame but to identify the causes of the
    48        accident.  Where necessary action can then be taken to
    49        prevent recurrence.  Eventually, there should be fewer
    50        accidents o investigate.  The current rate of accidents 
    51        equates to one" -- in fact I think it is slightly less than 
    52        one -- "notifiable accident per store per year per"? 
    53        A.  Yes.
    54
    55   Q.   Again, fine words, but are you satisfied that in practice
    56        these investigations are not used as a means of internal
    57        prosecution or persecution of the employee?
    58        A.  I have not come across any evidence of it and, well,
    59        certainly our accident rates have now fallen to around,
    60        well, it is about .8 of an accident per store per year.

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