The company responsible has been ordered to pay a £20,000 fine and £2,000 in legal costs by the Royal Court for causing the gas leak at the L’Hermitage care home, which houses 42 elderly residents, in Route de Beaumont.
Gas Services (Jersey) Ltd, which admitted breaching health and safety laws, was contracted to service and repair the gas appliances at the home in March 2018, with the work involving replacing some boiler parts, as well as annual safety checks and servicing.
But the Jersey Gas emergency service was contacted two days later after continued complaints from residents and staff of headaches, illness, blurred vision, increased heart-rates and dizziness, which are all symptoms of exposure to excess levels of the odourless and toxic gas.
Outlining his case, Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit said that the employee who carried out the work failed to check that the boilers were combusting safely before being switched back on again.
‘From that Friday evening, staff and residents of L’Hermitage began suffering from symptoms that may be associated with carbon monoxide poisoning,’ he said.
‘These symptoms continued and worsened until the Sunday, when the gas emergency service was contacted. Staff reported developing headaches and feeling unwell, elevated pulses, a blurring of vision and difficulty in balancing when walking.’
The court heard that when a Jersey Gas employee took readings at the home his carbon monoxide alarm was triggered as he went to undertake tests on the first floor.
A reading indicated that the carbon monoxide level was 64 parts per million – enough to cause sickness. The internationally recognised safe level of carbon monoxide concentration is 70ppm.
The Crown called for the company to be fined £35,000 for breaching health and safety laws.
Advocate Christina Hall, defending, said that while the employee would not have been qualified under UK law to carry out work on commercial premises, similar laws were not in place in Jersey.
‘There’s no similar Jersey legislation. Jersey simply doesn’t have legislation and guidelines available like there is in the UK,’ she said.
She added that the level of fine suggested by the Crown would bankrupt the company.
Delivering the court’s sentence, Lieutenant-Bailiff John Olsen said the company would be fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 to cover some of the prosecution’s legal costs.
The firm was given four months to pay the amounts. Jurats Jane Ronge and Gareth Hughes were sitting.
