Day 130 - 26 May 95 - Page 37


     
     1        A.  Yes, well, Keith Smith who is our Services Manager, he
     2        is most adamant that there is a risk from changing light
     3        bulbs, and that it should only have been contractors.  You
     4        can imagine in terms of getting management to comply with
     5        that, it is very difficult because the culture outside of
     6        work is that you would change a light bulb yourself.
     7
     8   MR. MORRIS:  But it may be more hazardous to do so in a kitchen
     9        area where there is lots of different equipment and floors
    10        might be slippery; is that the reason that ----
    11        A.  Well, no.  It is just, if you do not isolate it, it
    12        does not matter what sort of bulb, you still have a current
    13        going to it, there is a possibility of a shock.  As I say,
    14        it is the sort of thing that, you know, everybody who works
    15        in McDonald's has a home life outside of work.  They bring
    16        with them the same mind set, and it is so difficult getting
    17        over to them that something you do at work has to be
    18        different than you do -- the way you do it at home.
    19
    20   MR. MORRIS:  It might be a suitable time just to say that I was
    21        not going to ask questions about it, but we do not accept
    22        that the home environment and the work environment can be
    23        related in that way.
    24
    25   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You address me on that.  You have no need to
    26        pursue it.  In fact, I will merely say this, that I have
    27        read, years ago, figures which state that there are far
    28        more accidents in the home than there are at work.  Far,
    29        far fewer of them come to public attention, and hardly any
    30        of them lead to claims of one kind or another, for the
    31        simple reason that there is no-one one can usefully sue.
    32        But you need not concern yourself about that, because
    33        I accept that there is the duty on an employer to provide
    34        reasonably safe conditions for his employee, and that all,
    35        almost certainly, involves applying higher standards than
    36        the standards we apply to our own care or even,
    37        regrettably, those of other members of our family, at home.
    38
    39   MR. MORRIS:  Yes.
    40
    41   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  So you need not trouble yourself about that.
    42
    43   MR. MORRIS:  But also the environment is different.  You are not
    44        doing a job, being bossed around by somebody who is under
    45        pressure.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You can elaborate on it any way, but the
    48        principle is perfectly covered.
    49
    50   MR. MORRIS:  A lot of equipment, well, all the equipment will 
    51        not be there at home. 
    52 
    53   MR. RAMPTON:  I do not think it is time to make speeches about
    54        this or not.  I have a quite a lot to say.
    55
    56   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I wish I had not said anything.  You were
    57        quite right to say that you need not put it to Mrs. Barnes.
    58
    59   MR. MORRIS (To the witness):  Just on AY -- I think we are
    60        getting close to the end of these -- here we have a second

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