Day 154 - 13 Jul 95 - Page 21


     
     1        experience is that that does not actually necessarily mean
     2        they do any work, but they spend time in the working
     3        environment, as much as anything else, and see what is
     4        going on.  They may well do some work.  They may just
     5        follow someone around and watch what is happening.
     6        A.  Yes.  More -- that is my experience of it, as well.
     7
     8   Q.   Whether it is in a paperworking environment or a more
     9        physical working environment?
    10        A.  That is right.  It is just so they can get an idea of
    11        what it is like to work at McDonald's, whilst they are at
    12        school.
    13
    14   MR. MORRIS:  Do McDonald's have any policy or guidelines on what
    15        happens if someone on work experience does come in (if they
    16        are coming in), that they should not do, for example, jobs
    17        on the grills or other areas where they are obviously not
    18        trained?
    19        A.  I do not know if there is a set policy.
    20        Generally -----
    21
    22   Q.   It is up to the managers, is it?
    23        A.  Generally, you credit the managers with common sense
    24        not to put them in a situation where they could, through
    25        their inexperience and never having worked before, where
    26        they would be in the slightest bit of danger.
    27
    28   Q.   What were you doing in June 1990?  I cannot remember
    29        whether you were Area Supervisor or what at that time.
    30        A.  I was probably Operations Manager in the Birmingham
    31        area.
    32
    33   Q.   On 21st June, 1990 -- and this can be checked up, we do not
    34        have to go into it -- in the Colchester accident or
    35        injuries book, as it really is, a 15 year old girl,
    36        Emma Bzarda, on work experience -- "hand slipped on the
    37        meat on the quarter pounder grill and burnt two
    38        fingertips"; maybe it is "hand slipped off the meat and
    39        burnt two fingertips".  If something like that had come to
    40        your attention in one of the stores that you were
    41        responsible for, what would you do?
    42        A.  I would want to investigate it, probably.
    43
    44   Q.   Yes, but after you have investigated it, probably, and a
    45        child on work experience was found to have been working on
    46        a grill, is that something that would concern you?
    47        A.  I think it would, yes.
    48
    49   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It would actually concern you, would it?
    50        A.  I think so, yes. 
    51 
    52   MR. MORRIS:  If it would concern you, why is there no policy or 
    53        guidelines issued by McDonald's about how children on work
    54        experience are treated or used or whatever?
    55        A.  There may well be some guidelines.  What would normally
    56        happen is that the restaurant manager would consult with
    57        the Human Resources Department as to what the procedure
    58        was.  So if somebody approached and said: "We would like to
    59        do some work experience for some particular school
    60        children", then they would consult the Human Resources

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