Day 136 - 16 Jun 95 - Page 07

     
     1
     2   MR. RAMPTON:  Can I ask this, Mr. Brown, those ones, the 1988
     3        ones, if I can call them that, do those squares and the
     4        pimples on the squares get worn in the course of use?
     5        A.  Sometimes they can, yes.
     6
     7   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Could I have a look at the pale ones as well,
     8        please?  That is, smoother, is it not, to the touch?
     9        A.  Yes.
    10
    11   MR. RAMPTON:  What happens when they wear?  Do they maintain the
    12        same slightly rough consistency or not when they get worn,
    13        those ones?
    14        A.  No, when they wear like that, if they have gone down to
    15        the base surface we invariably retrofit the areas.
    16
    17   Q.   Yes, because it becomes not non-slip?
    18        A.  It becomes non-slip.
    19
    20   Q.   Non-non-slip, yes.  Next in point of time is the Altro
         floor which, I think, is on a board?
    22        A.  Yes.
    23
    24   Q.   I can see it from here, that it is glittering?
    25        A.  Yes.
    26
    27   Q.   What has got in it that makes it glitter?
    28        A.  It has got carbohandrum and silica gel in it which is
    29        put on the surface and that creates the non-slip
    30        properties.
    31
    32   Q.   That Carbohandrum and silica gel that is on the surface
    33        does not go all the way through them?
    34        A.  No, it is just on the surface.
    35
    36   Q.   So, as that flooring wears, the non-slip bit will also wear
    37        through and be lost, will it?
    38        A.  Yes, and then we would invariably retrofit.
    39
    40   Q.   Then you would need to refit it?
         A.  Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   They are all different colours but perhaps that does not
    44        matter.  Mr. Brown, is that right, the colouring is of no
    45        significance?
    46        A.  No, no, it is not.  We have used about two different
    47        colours from that range.
    48
    49   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can you just have a look and feel it and pass
    50        it on?  By all means make a note afterwards. 
    51 
    52   MR. RAMPTON:  Mr. Brown, when Altro was being used by the 
    53        Company, was it the cheapest product on the market?
    54        A.  No, it was not.
    55
    56   Q.   Was there any better product from the non-slip point of
    57        view on the market at that time when you started using
    58        Altro?
    59        A.  Altro was a development which we felt that we had to
    60        test out.