Day 128 - 24 May 95 - Page 38
1 A. Well, it mentions 1st September, which is just a couple
2 of months after I started in my role, and, certainly, there
3 were not any systems in place then for following up on the
4 accident investigation. I suspect it would have been done
5 locally.
6
7 Q. The Company would not think it was important enough to
8 investigate it from Head Office or regional office?
9 A. When I say "locally" I mean from the regional office.
10 I am sure it was investigated, but using the format
11 I explained before, where the security people would take
12 statements, and it would still be the Personnel Department
13 that got involved from the regional safety standpoint.
14
15 Q. You are aware of the incident where McDonald's were fined
16 œ2,250 with œ430 costs by Bury Magistrates' Court for
17 having an unguarded rubbish compactor?
18 A. I am aware of it, yes.
19
20 Q. Resulting in an employee suffering a trapped arm?
21 A. Yes. Again I did not investigate that. It was
22 investigated along the lines we just discussed, but
23 I did know of it and I believe it was because a compactor
24 guard was missing.
25
26 Q. That was in May 1991 that that came to court, I think. So
27 there was no report into the accident, which was circulated
28 to all the stores, to make sure that none of them were
29 using a similar rubbish compactor that had a missing guard
30 as well?
31 A. I am sure something was circulated. It certainly did
32 not come from myself, but, having said that, as an ex-store
33 manager myself, one of the things that you know to be
34 something you have to follow up on is to make sure the
35 compactor guards are kept in good condition, maintained
36 properly, cleaned properly and replaced, if necessary. It
37 is not something new to us. It was an integral part of
38 what was a recognised system for safety.
39
40 Q. The Company was also prosecuted for failing to report the
41 accident within the specified period. Is that something
42 that you looked into at all?
43 A. As I think I said yesterday, I am sure even now there
44 are some accidents that do not get reported that should.
45 There are no excuses with something as serious as this; we
46 should have known that we should have reported it
47 straightaway.
48
49 Q. Would that have been the fault of Head Office security
50 department; they had taken statements and not bothered to
51 report the accident?
52 A. I really do not know. It could be all sorts of things.
53
54 Q. Or is it quite possible that the security department did
55 not go and make an investigation into this?
56 A. I really do not know.
57
58 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is possible, is it, that the information
59 did not get out of the store ---
60 A. Yes, it is possible.
