ISLAND Energy’s health-and-safety culture had “fallen to a reactive state” months before the Haut du Mont explosion killed ten people, a jury heard yesterday as prosecutors spoke of the utility’s “systemic failings” and a lack of “proper controls” over its staff.

The case against the gas company was outlined yesterday as the prosecution’s opening statement entered its third day at the Royal Court’s temporary Jubilee Wharf courtroom. The firm denies two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989.

Three former Island Energy employees – Neil Armstrong (58), John Wright (60) and Lee Ward (59) – are accused of unlawfully killing the ten victims of the Haut du Mont explosion on Saturday 10 December 2022. They each deny ten counts of gross negligence manslaughter.

Crown Advocate Simon Thomas had previously told jurors that the fatal blast of December 2022 followed “exceptionally poor work” by three gas workers and a “series of mistakes”.

This, he alleged, included cutting the wrong pipe, restoring the supply without a safety test and leaving a valve open and unplugged.

But concluding his opening address yesterday, Advocate Thomas argued that the problems went beyond the actions of the three men – alleging that Island Energy had failed over a number of years to properly train and supervise its staff.

He said the work carried out on 9 December showed what could happen when “proper controls” were not in place.

Jurors were shown an Island Energy board paper from March 2022 which recorded a “decline in Health & Safety performance and culture” over the previous two years.

It said “compliance has been eroded” and the company’s safety culture had “fallen to a reactive state”.

The court also heard that some of Island Energy’s safety procedures were “12 years out of date” when compared with industry guidance.

Training identified as “required for [the] role” for Mr Armstrong, Mr Wright and Mr Ward had not been provided because of “budgetary issues”, Advocate Thomas said. The court heard the training would have cost around £500 per person.

Advocate Thomas said a lack of checks meant Mr Armstrong – the supervisor alleged to have overseen the “exceptionally poor work” carried out the day before the explosion – was allowed to plan the job while also effectively approving and supervising it.

“He was allowed to mark his own homework,” he said.

“As long as these safe systems of work were not in place, the risk of employees failing to follow procedures and going off on frolics of their own was very real,” he added.

“What Mr Armstrong and his team did on 9 December is evidence of that. The risks involved in such a situation were extreme.”

Jurors were also told that Island Energy cancelled its membership of an organisation that produced industry guidance in April 2021 – which Advocate Thomas argued was indicative of the company’s “approach to health and safety issues.”

Advocate Thomas said the alleged lack of supervision could also be seen later on 9 December, when residents reported smelling gas.

The engineer sent to investigate, Leigh Hunt, was “inexperienced in dealing with out-of-hours emergencies”, the court heard.

Advocate Thomas said the response showed “systemic failings” with Mr Hunt sent to deal with “a serious report of gas leaking” without proper supervision.

Summing up the Crown’s case against Island Energy, he described its alleged failings as “long-standing”.

“Island Energy did not have adequate procedures in place to control and supervise how its employees carried out their work,” he said.

“That meant that work was not carried out properly. Corners were cut and health and safety was ignored.”

However, Advocate Thomas said the alleged failings of the company did not excuse the actions of the three men.

“Whatever the failings of Island Energy, they cannot justify the exceptional negligence of Armstrong Wright and Ward,” he said.

Commissioner Andrew Oldland is presiding.

The trial continues.