Day 131 - 06 Jun 95 - Page 36

     
     1   Q.   Those little aluminium chips, or whatever they are,
     2        splinters, in the Altro floor, they do not interfere with
     3        the hygiene requirement?
     4        A.  No.  You can clean an Altro floor perfectly
     5        satisfactorily.  They do, however, introduce some element
     6        of slip resistance into it, and it is quite a good finish
     7        for slip resistance purposes.
     8
     9   Q.   Again, I am really speculating.  One has seen industrial
    10        tiled carpet:  a very thick, coarse sort of material which
    11        looks as if it would be very slip resistant.  Do you know
    12        the sort of thing I am talking about?
    13        A.  A sort of corded carpet, you mean?
    14
    15   Q.   No.  I was thinking more of -- it is almost a felt pile,
    16        with very coarse -- it may be hemp, or something like
    17        that.
    18        A.  Yes, sort of carpet tiles, that sort of finish?
    19
    20   Q.   Which looks -- tell me if I am wrong -- as though it would
         be very slip resistant?
    22        A.  I am sure it would be.
    23
    24   Q.   What would be the hygiene problems with that?
    25        A.  It would be quite impossible to clean.  You have to be
    26        able to scrub the floors; you have to be able to mop them;
    27        you have to be able to use fairly aggressive chemicals to
    28        get rid of any soiling.  Consequently, from a hygiene point
    29        of view, you want the floor as smooth as possible.  So the
    30        two things are conflicting with each other.
    31
    32   Q.   Finally this:  at the last page of this statement,
    33        Mr. Purslow.  You may find that the Defendants will suggest
    34        to you, as they have to other witnesses, that long hours of
    35        work in a place like McDonald's present some kind of
    36        potential safety hazard.  Would you like to comment on
    37        that?
    38        A.  A lot of work has been done on the balance between
    39        fatigue and safety.  Certainly, if one is talking about
    40        failures of perception, obviously, it is important that
         people are as fresh as possible.  The problem of working
    42        long hours in an environment such as McDonald's, I do not
    43        believe, would actually introduce any extra safety hazard.
    44        It may be intolerable for other reasons, but I do not
    45        believe it would introduce any extra safety hazard.  You
    46        are still going to cook the burger in the same way, and so
    47        on and so forth.
    48
    49        The problems would come, as I say, if we are talking about
    50        -- air traffic controllers are the classic example, where 
    51        you have to set up things that they look at.  After all, a 
    52        heavy goods vehicle driver is allowed to drive 10 hours a 
    53        day in this country, and that is with 32 tonnes of truck
    54        behind him.
    55
    56   Q.   Is that 10 hours continuously?
    57        A.  No.  He has to have certain breaks, but he is allowed
    58        to drive 10 hours in, I think it is a 24 hour spell.
    59
    60   Q.   Has any work been done on this question, for example, by