Haut du Mont trial: Island Energy 'placed health and safety at risk'

The trial into the Haut du Mont explosion, which killed ten residents nearly four years ago, has been told that Island Energy 'did not have systems in place to make sure what its employees were doing was safe'.

The court has heard that former gas workers Neil Armstrong, Lee Ward, and John Wright breached their duty, after their failings caused gas to escape into the block of flats, which led to the explosion in December 2022.

More here: Haut Du Mont Trial: Gas works were 'sloppy, unsafe, and cut corners', allege prosecutors - Channel 103

The prosecution said Island Energy should have had systems in place to make sure no work commenced until the manner of work had been approved.

Work to decommission the supply to Haut du Mont before the explosion was a 'routine operation', but Crown Advocate Simon Thomas said it's clear the work carried out by Neil Armstrong and his team was not planned as a 'routine operation' should have been, as Armstrong was 'allowed to mark his own homework'.

Neil Armstrong (centre)

"The prosecution says that by not having a procedure in place for routine operations, which was in accordance with IGEM/GL/6, (an industry standard published by the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers) was a failure.

"It was a failure which placed health and safety at risk."

The court heard a lack of effective oversight meant there was no-one to check the work was being done correctly.

Crown Advocate Thomas said:

"Reliance on informal supervision, assuming that everyone knows what everyone else is doing, is exactly how sloppy practices and cutting of corners happen.

"The events of 9 December 2022 show quite plainly that senior managers at Island Energy did not know what Armstrong and his team were doing."

The jury was also told that 'the risks' taken on 9 December 2022 'occurred time and time again'.

Crown Advocate Thomas outlined three examples - between February and August 2022 - where no method statements, risk assessments, or schematic drawings were carried out.

He added:

"Put simply, Island Energy was permitting its engineers to carry out routine operations on a regular basis without ensuring that the appropriate planning or supervision was in place."

Island Energy has pleaded not guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety law.

Armstrong (58), and fellow engineers Lee Ward (59), and John Wright (60), deny ten counts of gross negligence manslaughter.

The prosecution has now concluded its opening statement. The trial continues.