Jersey Gas to pay £76k following fire

Lauren Applebey

Jersey Gas has been sentenced at the island’s Royal Court after admitting health and safety breaches which led to a fire at Gas Place, St Helier in July 2012.

It was heard that the blaze, which started when electric tools being used to repair a leak in a storage tank ignited the flammable gas, led to hundreds of people having to leave homes and businesses for up to 24 hours.

David Edwards and Justin Paul were using an electric construction screwdriver and electrical leads to carry out the repairs. One suffered minor facial burns in the incident and the other was treated for shock in Jersey’s General Hospital. They are still employed by the company.

The storage device was decommissioned later the same month after the remaining gas had been burned off under control.

Jersey Gas admitted failing to:

• carry out risk assessments;
• provide a safe system of work; and
• provide adequate health and safety training, instruction and supervision to its employees.

The court said the most serious part of the complaint was the “extent of danger to which employees and members of the public were exposed”.

Jersey Gas admitted breaches of health and safety laws and was fined £65,000 with legal costs of £11,000. The court took into account the “exceptional level of co-operation” given by Jersey Gas.

Related Topics