Day 006 - 05 Jul 94 - Page 08
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I am just identifying it.
2 MR. MORRIS: That is fine, yes, I agree. If we just go to 5.8
under the "conclusions" which is page 863, do you have
3 that page?
A. I have it, yes.
4
Q. It says: "There was no company health and safety plan or
5 programme and as the line managers were generally not
setting health and safety goals and objectives they were
6 not able to review their subordinates' performance".
7 Then it says: "In general this prevented positive
feedback ... In compliance with company standards. In
8 particular, regional managers did not appear to be held
accountable by the inclusion of health and safety during
9 their formal appraisals other than in the event of a
serious failure." Did you agree with that conclusion,
10 5.8, there was no company health and safety plan or
programme?
11 A. I disagree because there was most definitely a written
health and safety policy which laces itself through
12 everything we do. The operations manual (to which you have
referred) is laced with issues about health and safety
13 being integral in everything we do.
14 Q. We are not talking about policy; we are talking about plan
or programme?
15 A. That is what I just said. Health and safety is laced
into everything we do in every procedural step.
16
Q. Yes. It says here: "Line managers were generally not
17 setting health and safety goals and objectives?
A. They are set in the operations manual goals and
18 objectives as to how you safely operate something, what
you do in case of your being worried about a foodstuff
19 that may not be up to standard is intrinsic in the
McDonald's system. I do not need a separate document to
20 inform my employees that health and safety is important;
it is laced in the very earliest days of their training.
21
Q. Surely, Mr. Preston, you believe in being shown by
22 example?
A. I think the ultimate example is operation manuals, the
23 document which anyone charged with running a restaurant is
bathed in, as it relates to how you do things; what you
24 don't do and the care and consideration that you take for
your employees and the men and women who are our
25 customers.
26 Q. So do you monitor whether the policies of the company are
being carried out?
27 A. I am sorry. You had better asked that one again.
28 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Start your question again, Mr. Morris. What
we have on the screen, you asked a question of Mr.
29 Preston: "Do you believe in being shown by example", Mr.
Preston gave an answer, then you asked: "So do you
30 monitor whether the policies of the company are being
carried out?"
