Day 102 - 13 Mar 95 - Page 47


     
     1   Q.   That has happened?
     2        A.  Yes.
     3
     4   Q.   What is your procedure for this?
     5        A.  Well, obviously, the reason has to be determined to see
     6        why the trailer tipped in the first place.
     7
     8   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It was trailers rather than the load tripping
     9        off lorry, was it?
    10        A.  It was a lorry pulling a trailer and the trailer
    11        tipped, and in two of the cases I think it was found that
    12        it was actually the same trailer and a design or a
    13        mechanical problem was found with the trailer itself which
    14        resulted in its tipping.  Obviously, the driver has to be
    15        investigated to find out if he is going too fast for a
    16        particular driving situation, and certainly in one of the
    17        cases that was definitely the case.
    18
    19   MS. STEEL:   The drivers have to get to the plant for a certain
    20        time, do they not, within a half hour period, or something
    21        like that?
    22        A.  They are given time windows, but again the speed limit
    23        for those lorries is 40 miles and hour and any driver who
    24        is caught exceeding that -- and they all have data loggers
    25        in the cabs -- any driver who would be caught exceeding
    26        that would be disciplined.
    27
    28   Q.   When I say about a half hour period, the drivers are
    29        expected to get there at a certain time -- sorry, they are
    30        given a time to arrive and they have to arrive within half
    31        an hour of that time, do they not?
    32        A.  They are but, I mean, they are not penalised if there
    33        is a reason for not arriving in that time.
    34
    35   Q.   If there had been a delay at loading?
    36        A.  If there has been a delay at loading, the normal
    37        procedure is to inform the factory that there has been a
    38        delay and, therefore, the lorry will be late.
    39
    40   Q.   So you are saying that no action at all would be, you know,
    41        you would not have a cross word with the driver if they
    42        turned up a bit late?
    43        A.  If the driver is late and there is a good reason, there
    44        would be no reason for having any cross words.  That is
    45        what I am saying.  If the driver has been driving too fast
    46        for particular traffic situations, like going round a
    47        roundabout, for example, then he will be disciplined.  That
    48        has happened.
    49
    50   Q.   How many incidents are you aware of in the last 12 or 18 
    51        months where lorries or the trailers have tipped over? 
    52        A.  I am aware of about three. 
    53
    54   Q.   But there could be more than that?
    55        A.  I think there maybe three, certainly, there might be
    56        four.  That would be the number.
    57
    58   Q.   Was there one within the last four or five months that
    59        happened in Grandstand Road?
    60        A.  Yes, there was.

Prev Next Index