Day 131 - 06 Jun 95 - Page 32
1 actually dissolves the grease layer. Most commercial
2 chemicals tend to be that type of activity because,
3 depending on the type of surface, you essentially need to
4 remove the grease. The extent of the concentration and the
5 type of formulation varies a little bit with the surface to
6 be cleaned.
7
8 Q. What is a COSHH assessment?
9 A. The COSHH assessment is an assessment required under
10 the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations,
11 and that requires an employer to carry out an assessment of
12 the risk of any chemical in use. So you would have to look
13 at, if you like, the toxic qualities of the chemical, if
14 any; you would have to consider how the chemical is used;
15 you would have to consider how likely it is that anybody
16 would be affected by that; and you would also have to
17 consider the people involved, and then take appropriate
18 precautionary measures for it.
19
20 Q. Beyond mild degreasants, you mentioned earlier there is the
21 material that is used for cleaning the grills. That would
22 be something more than mild, would it?
23 A. Yes, it would, by the very nature of what it has to
24 do. If you think of a domestic oven cleaner, it is very
25 similar, basically, in formulation.
26
27 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Does it have the same strong sort of smell?
28 Very pervasive, that is, is it not, that one?
29 A. It would not have the same smell, my Lord.
30
31 Q. That one you spray and then shut the oven and turn it on?
32 A. That is right. But in the food industry, you use
33 chemicals which are specifically formulated not to have an
34 odour, because of problems of food taint. But it is not
35 dissimilar in its content, which is that it is a caustic
36 base, so that it actually attacks the carbon. So it is a
37 similar type of substance.
38
39 Q. When I said "smell", what I really meant was, you are well
40 advised to keep away from the spray when you spray it?
41 A. Indeed, because it is very aggressive.
42
43 Q. It would be the same sort of thing?
44 A. Absolutely. It could cause chemical burns if it got on
45 to the skin.
46
47 MR. RAMPTON: In the next paragraph, you mention that
48 "Westminster" -- that is the City of Westminster, London
49 Borough Council, whatever it is called ---
50 A. Yes.
51
52 Q. "....have established a very positive reputation for
53 enforcement policies." What do you mean by that?
54 A. They have taken a number of high level prosecutions and
55 they are a very active department. I have dealt with
56 Westminster on many occasions. Believe you me, even when
57 they are not actually taking prosecutions, they are
58 demanding very high levels of compliance with legislation
59 -- quite rightly so.
60
