Day 084 - 07 Feb 95 - Page 30
1
2 Q. Was there anything in his comments about the restaurant at
3 Leeds with which you disagree?
4 A. My recollection, he gave the restaurant a
5 commendation. He was impressed with the restaurant. There
6 is nothing that I picked out that was particularly
7 disagreeable, in my recollection.
8
9 Q. No, that is probably right, Mr. Atherton. Can I move away
10 now, please, from customers briefly to employees who in
11 another sense are just as important as the customers? How
12 seriously do you take the health and safety of your
13 employees?
14 A. Very seriously -- as seriously as our customers.
15
16 Q. What is "hustle" in the restaurants?
17 A. It is assembling a customer's order effectively and
18 safely.
19
20 Q. Are you conscious that it might be suggested that the word
21 itself might import a sense of hurry which might in its
22 turn constitute some kind of health hazard, injury hazard,
23 to the employees?
24 A. I think it has certain American connotations that would
25 mean that you would be moving quickly.
26
27 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, there are accident statistics now
28 available -- there are not in any of the witness bundles;
29 my Lord, I handed them in, I think, it was this morning or
30 it may have been yesterday evening -- for this country.
31 But before I ask Mr. Atherton to look at them which I will
32 in a moment -----
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I remember you handing them up.
35
36 MR. RAMPTON: I did, my Lord. They are loose at the moment.
37 Your Lordship gave them back to Mrs. Brinley-Codd. My
38 Lord, Mrs. Brinley-Codd suggests pink volume XIII, section
39 D, but a new tab 57M. (To the witness): Before you look
40 at those, Mr. Atherton, can I ask you this question: Do
41 you happen to know, broadly, a rough figure how many people
42 were employed by the company, not including franchisees, in
43 this country in 1993?
44 A. Just over 30,000, maybe 31,000.
45
46 Q. How many do you think in about 1992?
47 A. Probably 30,000.
48
49 Q. Has it been increasing over the years as the size of the
50 operation has expanded?
51 A. Yes, the number of employees has increased.
52
53 Q. If you look at the documents in front of you, the first one
54 should be something called RIDDOR Accidents 1991 to 1993;
55 is that right?
56 A. Yes, I have that.
57
58 Q. There is a table. My Lord, I should tell your Lordship,
59 apropos what was said this morning, that these are not
60 summaries produced for the purpose of this case. They are
