Day 127 - 23 May 95 - Page 31


     
     1   Q.   What reaction did that provoke in the Company?
     2        A.  Unfortunately, at the time, I was away on my maternity
     3        leave, so I was not part of it, but I believe that the memo
     4        you can see in front of you was a result of the
     5        investigation of that accident.
     6
     7   Q.   But you were not involved in the preparation of or the
     8        decision to send this memo from Keith Smith that we see
     9        before us?
    10        A.  No, I was not.
    11
    12   MR. MORRIS:  Which one are we looking at?
    13
    14   MR. RAMPTON:  779, 7th September, 1992.  (To the witness)  When
    15        did you come from maternity leave?
    16        A.  I believe it was in September.  I cannot remember which
    17        date it was.
    18
    19   Q.   Was it before Mark Hopkins was killed?
    20        A.  Yes.  Chris Purslow dealt with this in my absence.
    21
    22   Q.   Chris Purslow, the independent consultant ---
    23        A.  Yes.
    24
    25   Q.   -- who is coming later to give evidence?
    26        A.  Yes.
    27
    28   Q.   This is addressed -- this is a corporate document from
    29        Keith Smith, and it is addressed to "all store managers,
    30        etc, etc, etc".  Do you see that?
    31        A.  I do.
    32
    33   Q.   "Subject:  electrical safety.  Date:  7th September 1992.
    34        As you are all aware, all employees from president down
    35        have a responsibility under the Act for the safety of our
    36        employees.  The level of accountability in the case of an
    37        accident will to some extent be determined by the level of
    38        knowledge of the people that are involved."
    39
    40        I want to pause there, if I may, Mrs. Barnes.  It is all
    41        very well having health and safety policies, training even;
    42        how do you ensure that the people on the ground do or do
    43        not do what they are supposed to or not supposed to?
    44        A.  Well, I suppose, to a large extent, it depends on
    45        systems like the audit, but, also, managers leading by
    46        example and following up, if they see anybody doing
    47        anything that is dangerous, pointing it out to them, and
    48        their complying with the systems and making sure that that
    49        is seen.
    50 
    51   Q.   Can I put it like this:  you have a company which employs 
    52        -- I do not know -- at the moment, something like 31,500 
    53        people in this country, do you not?
    54        A.  Yes.
    55
    56   Q.   The majority of whom are working in the restaurants?
    57        A.  Yes.
    58
    59   Q.   And the majority of those people working in the restaurants
    60        are part-timers, are they not?

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